In my novel Nearly Canaan, Joshua and Jaya settle into a place unlike anything they would have imagined. It's desert, for one thing, where nearly everything has to be irrigated, for another. Quite simply, it's a lot like Yakima, in the middle of Washington state.

  1. Dungeness crab. I really miss this. It doesn't travel well. You have to go to the source. Someplace like Ivar's on the waterfront in Seattle. One crab per person is fine.
  2. Salmon. How many varieties do you know? Sport fishermen will tell you their favorite.
  3. Tillamook cheddar. An Oregon coop.
  4. Beer. Must be all those local hops and barley. My favorite was Rainier.
  5. Geoducks. (Pronounced gooey-ducks). A large razor clam species.
  6. Those chewy apple, peach, or 'cot bars. A sweet and chewy candy. Used to get 'em up around Wenatchee. Wish I could remember the brand name.
  7. Rainier cherries. Definitely distinctive.
  8. Chanterelle mushrooms. Had 'em once, and it was a treat. You really have to trust your source when it comes to picking wild 'shrooms.
  9. Elk. Helps if you know someone who wins a license in the annual hunting lottery. Seriously.
  10. Walla Walla onions. OK, I hate onions. Or they hate me. So I'm just passing this along, based on the praise by cooks I respect.

~*~

What food is special where you live?

Dungeness crab, a specialty in the Pacific Northwest.