Yakima Avenue Tea at Second Street Grill. Photo by Robin Beckett

By Heather Caro

We love a girl who puts a little consideration into her martini.

That’s why, when reader Angela Wentz asked us for help finding the best outdoor happy hours in Yakima, we couldn’t turn her away. She had a serious list of criteria: great service was a must, an outdoor seating area, and, of course, good happy hour specials.  Said Angela, “Everyone knows that if you can get a discount it makes the fare that much better.”

We had our work cut out for us, but to make it easier, we enlisted Angela to help.  And many happy hours of research later, we developed a list of a few sunny spots we think are worthy of even more investigation.

Second Street Grill

There’s something so…urban about sitting outside the gargantuan “garage” doors at Second Street and enjoying a cocktail after work with your friends right in downtown Yakima. You’ll have to leave work a little early for appetizer specials, but that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.  Happy Hour Sunday through Saturday, 3-5 pm for appetizer specials, 3-6 pm for drink specials.

Get Happy: Half price wells, half price special microbrew (picked daily), half price special martini (picked daily).

Second Street Grill

28 North Second St.

Yakima

509-469-1486

secondstreetgrill.com

Angela says, “The bartenders are friendly, and with the eclectic sampling of appetizers, it’s hard to pick just one.”

Zesta Cucina

Slip into the bar or sip out on the deck with its gorgeous summer flowers at the Italian-fare favorite, Zesta Cucina. Happy hour lasts from 4-6pm Monday – Friday and features half-price drink and appetizer specials – but be sure to come early as seats fill up fast.

Get Happy: $2-$5 appetizers like their chopped salad, sautéed mushrooms and braised meatballs.  $2 bottled beer, $3 wines by the glass, $3 draft beers, $5 cocktail drink specials.

Zesta Cucina

5110 Tieton Drive
Yakima

509-972-2000

zestacucina.com

Angela says her three Zesta faves are the martinis, the chopped salad and the chicken ravioli.

The G Spot Bar

Sitting outside the G Spot Bar at Gasperetti’s Restaurant, one wouldn’t know that North First Street is just around the corner.  With its soothing fountain, lush plants and comfy seating, the only thing that’s missing for happy hour goers are the blue cheese potato chips (house made) we highly recommend.  Happy hours are Monday through Saturday, 3-6 p.m.

Get Happy: $3 draft beers, $4.50 well drinks, $5 house wine, assorted discounted appetizers, such as pizza, blue cheese potato chips, hamburger sliders

Gasperetti’s Restaurant/G Spot Bar

1013 North First St.

Yakima

509-248-0628

gasperettisrestaurant.com

Angela says, “If you haven’t tried (the blue cheese chips), you need to…these definitely give nachos a classier name, and who doesn’t love melted cheese on fried food?”

Sportscenter

Who can resist sharing a pint among friends beneath Yakima’s iconic glowing neon hunter? Yakima’s Sportscenter has been a night-life hot-spot, but with happy hour specials and yummy appetizers like sweet potato fries, diners need not wait until after dark to visit. Get “centered” for happy hour from 3-6 pm, Monday through Friday.

Get Happy: $1 off draft beer, $3 off wells, $3-4.00 appetizers

Angela says, “The appetizers are tasty and with the pricing, you can share a couple with friends.”

Sportscenter

Crab cakes drizzled with red pepper aioli, and a finding Nemo Cocktail. Photo by Cal Blethen

214 East Yakima Ave.

Yakima

509-453-4647

yakimasportscenter.com

Tequila’s

With its exotic outdoor bar and its “outside of the boxcar” location, Tequila’s offers nothing but sun and terrific drink specials during the warmer months.  Grab a table with an umbrella and enjoy a margarita with some nachos during happy hour, Monday through Friday from 2-6 pm.

Get Happy: $2 domestic beer $2 lime margaritas, $3 well drinks, $3 imported beer and $3 appetizers, such as nachos and quesadillas.

Tequila’s

1 West Yakima Ave.

Yakima

509-457-3296

Lavender in bloom.

LAVENDER- LEMON VERBENA CAKE

Makes 2 dozen muffins/cupcakes, one bundt cake or two 8” cake layers.

• 2½ cups cake flour
• 3½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP fresh, finely chopped organic and unsprayed lemon verbena leaves, prepared according to instructions
• 2 TBSP fresh organic and unsprayed lavender flowers, prepared according to instructions
• 2/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp lemon extract OR 1 TBSP real lemon juice
• zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350F. Choose your pans and prep with pan spray or use cupcake papers. Cream butter, sugar and herbs. Blend dry ingredients and add to sugar and butter. Whip juice, milk, eggs and extract and add to dry ingredients. Mix well until batter is really smooth. Bake 25 minutes for muffins, approximately 30 minutes for layer cake, 35 minutes for tube cake. Test cake center.

SUMMER SALAD

4 roasted red peppers

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 tsp coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

3 TBSP red wine vinegar

8 TBSP olive oil

choice of greens, including arugula, rocket, sorrel or chicory

3 tomatos, cut in bite-sized pieces

handful of blanched green beans

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered

Fresh organic and unsprayed herbs and herb flowers, including purslane, basil, chive    leaves and flowers, and nasturtium leaves and flowers

Peel and seed the peppers, slice them into strips, and place them with their juices in the bottom of a large salad bowl, along with the sliced onions.  Make the vinaigrette by mashing the garlic in a bowl with the salt and a few grinds of pepper.  The garlic should be completely pureed.  Add the vinegar and stir well, then stir in the oil.  Pour the dressing over the onions and peppers and let them marinate for 2-3 hours.  When ready to assemble the salad, add the washed and dried greens.  Arrange the tomatoes and eggs on top.  Then add basil leaves, the young leaves of purslane, finely chopped chive leaves, whole nasturtium leaves, and scatter the purple chive and orange nasturtium flowers on top.  Toss the salad at the table.

BERRIES WITH ROSE-SCENTED CRÈME ANGLAISE

2 highly fragrant organic unsprayed roses

1 cup heavy cream

3 large egg yolks

¼ cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 quart fresh berries

Prepare the flowers according to the directions above. Remove the white heel, which may add bitterness, from 24 rose petals with a pair of scissors.  Refrigerate the remaining petals.  In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, bring the cream and rose petals to a boil.  Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.  In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt.  Temper the egg mixture with a slow stream of the cream/rose mixture, then combine the remainder by pouring slowly through a strainer, whisking constantly.  Now return this mixture to a saucepan and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon, 10-15 minutes.  Strain again to remove any lumps.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  At serving time, pour some of the crème anglaise onto a dessert plate and scatter fresh berries over the cream.  Garnish with some of the remaining fresh rose petals, which are a beautiful, edible addition.

Edward Messer, 5, eats a snow-cone from the shaved ice stand at the Yakima Farmer's Market

By Robin Salts Beckett

Photos by Sara Gettys

Yakima’s Farmers Market on Yakima Avenue and Third Street has long been known as the place to find fresh, local fruit and vegetables for dinners at home, but it also offers a delicious array of food that’s ready-to-eat; in fact, it’s a veritable outdoor food plaza, with dishes like pad thai, lumpia and even the decadent and ever-so-French pain au chocolat beckoning hungry shoppers to stop and stay awhile. Visitors can follow their nose, grab a bite and find a nice place to sit and taste the flavor of the market right there on Third Street.

For those with a sweet tooth (or kids in tow), try the shaved ice and Italian soda stand.  With its rainbow variety of flavors, a cup of the sweet-smelling stuff hits the spot on one of Yakima’s sweltering summer days.

For early risers who want to get to the market when it opens at 9 a.m. and might not be ready for a heaping plate of lunch, wander to Essencia’s booth, just a hop, skip and a jump away from its storefront across Yakima Avenue.  Essencia offers housemade pastries such as a blueberry custard croissant, ham and cheese croissant and a pain au chocolate (that’s a chocolate croissant) that are easy to eat while walking.  They’re also delicious, with buttery, delicate layers of pastry enveloping something equally as tasty.  The layers are so delicate that they can be a little flaky, but don’t worry — it’s worth it.

Lucy Dominguez’s booth offers tamales, corn on the cob and gorgeous, gigantic containers of fruit juice, including their tantalizing Horchata, or rice water. Dominguez says there are a scant three ingredients in this refreshing concoction: rice, milk and cinnamon.  The result is sweet but not cloying and absolutely delicious.

Pad Thai is piled high on a plate at the Yakima Farmer's Market, Sunday, June 13, 2010.

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Pad Thai is piled high on a plate at the Yakima Farmer's Market, Sunday, June 13, 2010.

Lutong Pinoy is a Wapato-based Filipino restaurant that operates a stand at the Farmers Market. Owner Marieta Batarao cooks up Filipino favorites, including the popular lumpia (egg rolls) and pork BBQ, but don’t miss the pancit, a noodle dish using yaki soba, rice noodles, chicken, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, celery and carrots.

Thai Orchid serves up fried rice, “chicken on a stick” and the aromatic pad thai, with its distinctive orange color and sweet-and-spicy flavor combination. It’s served by the plateful, so you won’t go hungry.

No trip to the Farmers Market would be complete without cruising by R&J’s Original Kettle Corn, a mainstay at the market, and grabbing a bag of caramel corn made on the spot. Watching the caramel corn being produced is spectacle enough to sit and watch for a while. Just make sure you’ve got something to eat.

Northwest Cherry Pico De Gallo Salsa

Submitted via facebook by Aaron Guerra

1/2 lbs of Northwest Cherries pitted and chopped

6 Roma Tomatoes

2 Jalapenos chopped

1 Small Onion

1 Lime

1 tsp of minced garlic

2 tbsp. Chopped Cilantro

1 Anaheim Pepper

1 tsp. Guerra’s Gourmet Natural Seasonings

1tsp of sea salt/pepper

Instructions:

Chop onions, cilantro, garlic, peppers, and squeeze half of lime on ingredients in bowl. Add tomatoes, cherries, Guerra’s Gourmet Seasoning, sea salt, and squeeze other half of lime in bowl. Do not mix ingredients let them sit for 15 – 20 minutes in fridge. When ready to serve mix all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips, salmon, tacos, or your favorite dish.

Sour Cherry Gin Muddler

Submitted via Facebook by Theresa Adolf

Place three pitted sour cherries and a thin lemon slice in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add half a teaspoon or so of sugar, pound with a muddler or pestle or the handle of a wooden spoon until the cherries are smashed up but not pureed.

Pack the glass with ice and top with gin (use 1 ounce if you are a lightweight, or … See moredouble that for a normal imbiber). Float a teaspoon or two (the more you use, the sweeter the drink will be) of maraschino liqueur on top. If you don’t have maraschino, just skip it and use a little more sugar in the bottom of the glass. If you are the kind of person who has a jar of homemade maraschino cherries in the refrigerator, but are out of the liqueur, just spoon up some of that cherry liquid, though it will be slightly more dilute.

Sip up the drink, and if you want another, just add more gin. The fruit will likely stay powerful enough to stand up to re-boozing.
Yum!

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Recipe courtesy of stolemomentscooking.com

• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• 2 T. cocoa powder
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. dried cherries
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, including the chocolate chips and dried cherries.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until completely moistened and combined.

3. Pour about 1/3 – 1/2 c. batter into greased or lined muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are done.

Photo by Sara Gettys

tropi-low-cal granita

2 cups bleberries

1 cup strawberries, cleaned and trimmed

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Fine zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Fine zest of 1/2 lime

Juice of 1/2 lime

3 cups Sierra Mist Free

1.  Process the blueberries and strawberries with the sugar in a food processor until smooth.  Add the lemon zest and juice and lime zest and juice.  Process until smoother.  Pour the mixture into an 11″ x 7″ dish.  Stir in the Sierra Mist.  Cover and freeze for about 8 hours.  Remove from the freezer and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.  Chop the mixture into large chunks and place in a food processor in batches, pulsing 5 to 6 times.  Serve immediately in martini or wine glasses.  Garnish with additional lemon or lime zest if desired.

Serving size 1 cup

20 calories per serving

Recipe courtesy of Substitute Yourself Skinny by Susan Irby

wild about berries cheesecake

8 crushed ginger snaps

2 (8oz) packages of nonfat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

fine zest of 1/2 lemon

2 eggs

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup nonfat sour cream

1 cup fresh wild berries such as rasberries, blackberries and blueberries, lightly crushed.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make the crust by sprinkling crushed ginger snaps into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.  Set aside.

2.  For the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and lemon zest.  Mix together well using a wooden spoon or electric mixer on medium speed.  Once combined, mix in the eggs.  Combine well.  Add the milk and mix well.  Pour into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center is nearly set when shaken.

4.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Use a thin knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.  Remove the pan sides and let cool for  1 hour.

5.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream and berries.  Spread over the cheesecake.  Loosely cover and chill for about 4 hours or overnight.

Serves 10

Calories per serving 105

Recipe courtesy of Substitute Yourself Skinny by Susan Irby

Photos by Patty Dirienzo

An hour from Yakima, tucked away under the trees just outside of Goldendale, is a land of milk and honey … and cinnamon and jam, and sweet Greek coffee. The St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Monastery owns and operates this treasure, known to most as simply “the Greek Bakery.”

For the past seven years, the Greek Bakery has been a favorite stop for those who appreciate genuine Greek pastries and gyros. I’ve stopped there myself, but more out of curiosity rather than love of all things Greek and edible. However, my most recent visit — taken with the purpose of learning enough about the bakery to write a little article — has turned me into a fan of their sweet delights. I will be back.

The selection of goods available at the bakery has grown considerably over the past few years. What used to be just baklava and a few other treats has grown into a selection of gourmet candies, honeys and jams, a full menu of cookies and biscuits, and a freezer full of entrees and uncooked pastries. The store also carries natural soaps and lotions, candles, gift baskets and prayer ropes, all handmade by the nuns who live in the adjacent monastery.

I was fortunate to visit with Sister Ephraimia, a delightful young woman who has been at the monastery for 14 years. She explained that the store now sustains the monastery, which is home to 20 sisters and novices, several cats and a small herd of Nubian goats. The goats produce milk that the sisters make into fresh feta cheese.

“They’re really good producers,” Sister Ephraimia explained. “We have an abundance of milk, and are in the process of getting licensed to be able to offer that, and the feta, at the bakery too.”

I — for one — can’t wait.

When You Go

The Greek Bakery is 58 miles south of downtown Yakima on U.S. Highway 97. Hours are 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The sisters in the store are cheerful and helpful, and willing to explain what each bakery item is, because they’re labeled with the Greek names. My new favorites include Melomakarona (a dense spice cookie soaked in honey), cinnamon Koulourakia (a slightly sweet cookie, perfect with a cup of coffee) and, of course, baklava (the best I’ve ever had!).

stjohnmonastery.org

Wineries around the valley will celebrate Valentine's Day in a most delicious fashion during the Red Wine and Chocolate event February 13-15.

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt! -Lucy Van Pelt/Peanuts

Red Wine & Chocolates 2010

Wineries around the Valley will celebrate Valentine’s Day in a most delicious fashion during the Red Wine and Chocolate event Feb. 13-15.  Whether your weakness is a decadent brownie, rich truffles or triple-chocolate petit fours, you’ll find chocolate samplings paired with a variety of red wines at wineries throughout the Valley.

The event requires only a wineglass in hand to participate, though most wineries charge a nominal fee for wine tastings.  Wine Yakima Valley offers a Premier Pass for $35 ($30 online in advance), which comes with a 15 oz. commemorative glass and allows the holder discounts, special treatment and waived tasting fees at many wineries.   The antioxidant-friendly festival is a popular event for chocolate connoisseurs and wine lovers alike.

To find out more information contact:

Wine Yakima Valley

509-965-5201

www.wineyakimavalley.org

Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail

1-888-375-7498

www.rattlesnakehills.com

Fedelini alla Carbonara

The Sauce:

Brad Patterson's Fedelini Alla Carbonara

1/2 cup of thickly sliced smoked bacon lardons

1 cup of crème fraiche

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

fine sea salt

2 tablespoons finely sliced chives (may substitute scallions)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces dried fedelini or other pasta of your choice

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil over high heat with salt.

To make the sauce, sauté the bacon until crisp. Add the crème fraiche and bring just to a simmer.

Whisk the egg yolk into the sauce, add the black pepper and taste for salt. Reserve and keep warm.

When ready to serve, cook the pasta al dente. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the sauce and lightly fold in the sliced chives and parmesan cheese.

Using a meat fork, twirl a quarter of the pasta and put in the center of each of four bowls. You may garnish with additional chives, bacon and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

*Serves four first course portions.

Cooking notes:

Fedelini is a thinner version of spaghetti. We use exclusively the brand De Cecco from Italy. It is easily purchased at De Laurenti’s in Seattle’s Pike Place Market and occasionally the brand can be found in local grocery stores.

Lardon is a French term for thicker diced fried bacon, etc.

Crème Fraiche is a French-style sour cream that does not curdle when heated.

I find that dried pasta is preferable to fresh pasta as it produces a less “sticky” result.

“Al dente” is an Italian term for “to the tooth” meaning slightly underdone.

Carbonara is an Italian name referring to coal miners or the fact that it was originally cooked over charcoal. The dish gained popularity in the United States with returning soldiers from World War II.

Jaime Rincon – Antojitos Mexicanos

Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo

Jaime Rincon's Camarones Al De Ajo

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter

10 garlic cloves, thinly chopped

40 raw shrimp (21-25 count), deveined (peeled if like)

4 spoons of mayonnaise

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat; toss in shrimp.

Add a dash of seasoning salt when the shrimp are almost pink.

Add the fresh garlic and four spoons of mayonnaise once the shrimp turn fully pink in color.

Mix well and simmer until garlic turns light brown.

Divide the shrimp into four meals. Garnish with salad and Spanish rice.

Derrin Davis of Tony’s Steakhouse

Kurobuta Pork Chops

Serves 6

Brine:

1 quart water

¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup good quality honey

1 bay laurel leaf

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 quart ice to double the volume of the brine

Pork:

Six each double-bone Kurobuta pork rack with chine bone off and brined overnight or up to 24 hours. Have a qualified, reputable butcher cut and French your pork chops. When brining is complete, remove pork and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a plastic container until ready for grilling and place in the cooler.

Method of Preparation:

Combine water, salt, sugar and honey in a 2-quart sauce pan and bring to a boil. Allow the sugar and salt to dissolve. When the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the other ingredients, except for the ice, in order and allow steeping (much like tea) for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid mixture and add the ice to double the volume. When the mixture is at 40 degrees, add the pork rack in a suitable container and allow to brine overnight or up to 24 hours.

Hash:

2.5 pounds sweet potatoes (not yams)

1 sweet onion

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons bacon renderings

Method of Preparation:

Derrin Davis's Kurobuto Pork Chops

Wash sweet potatoes and place on a medium-size sheet pan. Cook sweet potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees until skin begins to brown and outside begins to soften slightly. We still want the inside to be slightly firm to allow for extra cooking later. While potatoes are cooking, peel and cut onion into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Uniformity is not important in either the onion or the potato. Pick the thyme leaves, finely mince and set aside. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon renderings and onion. Sautee until the onion becomes translucent and begins to brown slightly. Add the thyme to the onions and set aside to allow cool. When the potatoes are done, place directly into a cooler or refrigerator. This allows the skin to loosen from the potato and eases the peeling process. After the potatoes have had a chance to cool, peel the skin off and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Combine the onion mixture and the potatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on to a medium-size sheet pan lined with parchment paper to form a single, evenly spaced layer and cook at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Store hot until ready for use.

Pre-heat a grill to medium-high heat (preferably a wood grill using apple or cherry wood). When grill is hot and coals have formed from the wood, place the pork chops on and cook, turning occasionally, until an internal temperature registers 135 to 140 degrees.

Place hash on the middle of the plate and place pork chop on top. Serve immediately.

Suggested accompaniments:  Tart Cherry Compote and Grilled Asparagus

Suggested wine pairing: 2006 Cultura 100% Cab Franc

Cooking notes:

For another version, one could replace the bacon with Italian prosciutto or even the wonderful smoked salmon bellies from the Pike Place Fish Market.

Not many of us have had the pleasure of experiencing the Kurobuta Pork. Raised here in the Pacific Northwest, in the same fashion that has delivered the increasingly popular American Kobe Beef, we have at our fingertips arguably the world’s best pork. Kurobuta pork is still technically Berkshire pork, however, being raised in the Japanese-style of Kobe, it delivers an amazing texture, color and flavor. Paired here with sweet potato and onion hash, roasted asparagus, Yakima Valley dried tart cherry compote and apple cider pan-sauce, this has become a staple on our menu and a favorite among our guests. Please, I implore you; understand that confirmed cases of trichinosis from pork in the U.S. have been less than 12 per year since 2001 and have lowered every year since. You actually have a greater chance of suffering from trichinosis by consuming wild game. It is safe to eat pork at medium to medium well. We no longer have to consume pork that tastes and feels like cardboard.

What is brine?

Historically, chefs around the world have used brine as a form of a preserve or cure in order to transport proteins without the risk of spoilage. Today, chefs use brine to flavor and tenderize meats. In this recipe, we will use a brine to tenderize and add flavor to our pork chops. Brine is a mixture of salt and water. There are many different theories as to what exactly brine does to meat. I believe that the brine passes through the cells of the meat and pulls the impurities out, slightly adjusting the structure of the cell itself, lending a superior piece of meat.

Birchfield Manor

OREGON PRAWN AND SHRIMP CAKES

1 red pepper, fine dice
1 green pepper, fine dice
8 green onions, fine dice
1 T garlic
1 T cajun seasoning
Saute together and add 1 C white wine

COOL MIXTURE

2 lbs shrimp meat (dry)
2 C bread crumbs
3/4 lb black tiger prawns pureed with 3 eggs
2 lbs sliced black tiger prawns

COMBINE INGREDIENTS

Form into cakes and roll in panko rice crumbs

Saute until crispy and golden brown

Finish in 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes.

ENJOY!

[Show as slideshow]

Nestled comfortably just east of State Fair Park is a young and quickly growing culinary arts school. Even in the sleepy winter weather, the main dining hall at Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center is bright and spacious. Lit up by a towering glass wall, the new building highlights the dining area, just to the right of the main entrance. A beautiful view is in every direction.

In its first year at the new location, YV Tech’s Culinary Program is already home to more than 50 high school students. As tourism in the Yakima Valley grows, YV Tech is quietly filling a need by educating young people in culinary arts.

Behind the dining area, the learning begins. Commanding a kitchen full of youthful, exubarant and easily distracted students is no cakewalk, but Ned Walsh, head chef and owner of Yakima’s 901 Pasta, has complete control.

Today, Walsh is giving clear instructions and wielding a rolling pin for emphasis. Behind him, a dry-erase board with the day’s lunch menu is colorfully decorated. The students approach Walsh with respect, calling him “chef.” Though he is firm in his command, a twinkle in his eye gives away the fact that Walsh loves his job. The students seem to connect with his caring and youthful ways. “I’ve always had an interest in working with young people,” he says.

Ivone Petzinger, one of the founders of Essencia Artisan Bakery in Yakima, has recently joined Walsh in the kitchen to lighten the load. Petzinger applies her background in baking, as well as her experience as a local business owner, to the classroom. “At Essencia I needed to train people; it was like a teaching job,” she says.

Each morning, after some announcements, the students split into two groups. Walsh takes half of the class to do a culinary lesson, while Petzinger’s half, referred to by the students as “the bake shop,” preheats their ovens and gets to work.

Chef Ned Walsh shows his students in the culinary program at YVTech, including Gandia Hernandez (second from right) learn how to make sauce for chicken picatti.

“When I found out that they had started the pastry program, I was like, ‘Oh, Sweet!’” says Melanie Stevenson, a 19-year-old senior from Eisenhower High School. “In my family, pastry is huge.”

The new kitchen, with 40 teaching stations ranging from fast food to a demonstration kitchen, allows for plenty of work space. “We’re not bumping into each other,” Walsh jokes. It is quite an upgrade from the residence hall kitchen at Yakima Valley Community College, where the program began 2 1/2 years ago.

And there are plans to expand. With large movable walls, the dining hall eventually will be able to seat 500 people, and up to three community events at one time. “There is one big floor mixer we haven’t even used yet,” says Walsh. “We haven’t had a need for it yet, but we will.”

YV tech’s hands-on approach has the students fascinated. Gandia Hernandez, a 17-year-old senior from Naches Valley High School, hopes to open her own restaurant in the Yakima Valley one day. “That’s what I really want,” she says.

The students are vibrant and willing to expand their minds. “Some kids are really serious about following a career. Others are here just because they are curious; they want to learn,” says Petzinger.

One of the most amazing parts of the program is the effect it can have on the students. “It’s fun. It’s interesting. But it also provides a career opportunity,” says Walsh. “They find a niche, and all of a sudden it lights their fire,” he says. “Now they’re at school every day. They’re doing their work.”

“They may discover something,” says Wash, excitedly. “It’s almost like a blossoming.”

Photos by Sara Gettys

[Show as slideshow]

Roll out the barrels, Yakima…it’s time for some wine-tasting fun.

Around here, we don’t often need a good excuse to taste good wine. There are plenty of those: our proximity to some of the finest wines in the region if not the nation; the friendliness of local tasting-room staffs; the fact that it’s Friday.

But if you need a better excuse, Spring Barrel Tasting is mere weeks away. Come April 23-25, Valley wineries will offer samples of their newest vintages — sometimes straight from the barrel.

According to Mike Wallace, the first Spring Barrel Tasting was held in 1977 at Hinzerling Winery. “We didn’t have any wine to sell yet,” he said. “But thought we could at least gain some interest for future sales by doing an educational event sampling unfinished wines from the barrel.”

Other wineries joined Hinzerling in the next year or two, until the event gained momentum — and the attention of tourists.

Today, tourism is an important part of Yakima County’s economy. John Cooper, CEO of Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau, said that tourists to Yakima County spent a total of $345 million in 2008.

Sometimes we locals avoid the big wine weekends, but this Spring Barrel Tasting, let’s join in on the fun, Yakima. There are too many wineries to list here, but following are a few of our favorite places to stop:

Kana Winery

No need to drive too far to get to that first sip. Stop by the Larson Building and Kana Winery in downtown Yakima, where their “Dark Star” is a local favorite. If you haven’t been inside the Larson Building in a while, peek into the lobby: it’s an art-deco gem.

Piety Flats

The Piety Flats Winery tasting room is in an old store, where tasters can also pick up gourmet treats and wine accessories. Photo by Sara Gettys

Like stepping back in time, Piety Flats Winery and Mercantile welcomes you to another world, right off the highway. Located in Donald, Piety Flats is not only a tasting room, but a little general store, where tasters can pick up their favorite bottle along with all sorts of specialty food items, such as soup mixes, pepper jelly and mustards. Our favorite: the honey truffle mustard. Pack a picnic to eat while wine tasting and put a little on your sandwich.

Masset

Not very far away is Wapato’s Masset Winery, housed in a gorgeous old barn and boasting one of the prettiest tasting rooms around. Check out the enormous gold-framed chalkboard for a list of vintages and taste while admiring the view … from the inside.

Tefft Cellars

Tefft Cellars in Outlook is a great place to stop for terrific wine at a great value. Try the Villa Rocca and Villa Toscana, two tasty blends that work with nearly anything you can put on the dining room table — or the picnic basket.

Portteus

Portteus Winery, in Zillah, is at the end of a circuitous road as gnarled as the beautiful vineyards it runs through. Its unassuming tasting room, however, houses some spectacular wines. Try anything — you’ll likely walk out with some to take home.

Photo by Sara Gettys

Don’t stop there … get a map from one of the Web sites below and chart your own course this spring:

Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail

rattlesnakehills.com

888-375-RHWT

“Pre-Barrel” Tasting: April 16-18

Spring Barrel Tasting: April 23-25

Contact Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail for information on its passport program.

Wine Yakima Valley

wineyakimavalley.org

509-965-5201

Spring Barrel Tasting: April 23-25

Contact Wine Yakima Valley for information on its Premiere pass.