Blaine Wetzel, the James Beard Award-winning chef of The Willows Inn,
and champion of hyper-local cuisine, offers an inside look at his unique
approach to fine dining.
Everything that Chef Blaine Wetzel makes is sourced within a few miles
of his kitchen, often hours after it has been harvested from the ocean,
the forest, or his own small farm. Lummi will inspire professional and
home chefs to pay close attention to the seasons and to appreciate and
bring out the best in what is fresh and local. The recipes Wetzel
showcases here are a catalogue of dishes he created at the lauded
Willows Inn restaurant on tiny Lummi Island in Washington State, ranked
the number one restaurant in the United States in 2017, 2018, and 2019
by OAD (Opinionated About Dining). They are divided into courses that
mirror the perfect bites and small plates that Wetzel serves at a
typical Willows Inn dinner: green figs and leaf cream; sea urchin
marinated in tomato seeds; wild beach peas and lovage stems; a stew of
chanterelle mushrooms; and a dessert of beach roses. Stunningly
photographed, every dish captures a moment in time and in nature. Each
recipe highlights the unique qualities of the main component, whether
it's wild plum, young rhubarb, blue clams, sockeye salmon, venison,
black walnuts, or a perfectly ripe melon. Each plate is breathtakingly
elegant, yet the dishes themselves are unfussy and rustic. As suitable
for the coffee table as it is for the sophisticated kitchen, this book
is a symphony of aesthetic perfection, capturing a way of living and
eating that is in harmony with the land.
