A group of local food entrepreneurs and chefs will be available for questions and conversation in the lounge of the Palace Ballroom between 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

• Kathy Casey of Kathy Casey Food Studios Liquid Kitchen™, Dish D’Lish®  and cookbook Sips & Apps
• Kurt Beecher Dammeier of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Maximus / Minimus, Pasta & Co, Bennett’s Pure Food Bistro and cookbook Pure Flavor
• Jessie Oleson of CakeSpy.com, CakeSpy shop and cookbook CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life
• Lisa Dupar of Pomegranate Bistro, Lisa Dupar Catering and cookbook Fried, Chicken and Champagne

Northwest restaurateur Tom Douglas will provide his Palace Ballroom facilities to host the event and serve a selection of appetizers. Additional participating restaurants showcasing and serving bites at the event will include Rover’s and Luc, The Coterie Room, Local 360, The Inn at Langley, Il Corvo Pasta, Harborside ,Volunteer Park Café, and many more. For a complete list of participating companies, visit www.foodportunity.com.

Foodportunity, created by Seattle event planner and food blogger Keren Brown, is open to food journalists, bloggers, public relations professionals, restaurateurs, farmers, companies and all food-passionate people.

The event will be sponsored by Metropolitan Market, the area’s premier independent grocer. Its six locations in Seattle, Kirkland and

Tacoma provide one-stop shops for fresh, local, organic and hard-to find items, and monthly, complimentary tastings and events such as its Annual Wellness Fair, going on now through January 29.

Early admission is $25 (including booking fees; $30 at a later date), which includes bites from restaurants and companies. Tickets can be purchased through BrownPaperTickets.com.

The first 40 Foodportunity ticket-holders to send an email to info@foodportunity.com will get a seat at the 8:30 p.m. “speed networking” session led by Julien Perry, Seattle Weekly Food Writer, Chefs Feed Seattle editor and Q13’s Restaurant Correspondent.

Chef Emran Chowdhury will be representing Cantinetta. Having a passion for fresh and simple ingredients it was very evident that Italian food would be his specialty.Having worked for Cantinetta for the past couple of years, Emran brings to the table his eagerness to perfect everything he creates,” It is more of a need than a want to perfect with Italian cuisine since the simplicity and the freshness of it makes it very easy to execute poorly”

The various chefs coming out to cook, all have one common inspiration to win: charity. The award for best dish will yield a $5,000 prize that will go to the restaurant’s charity of choice. If they win, Cantinetta will donate proceeds to “Treehouse for Kids” in Seattle, an organization that provides services to foster children. This particular charity is close to Chef Emran’s heart largely due his past experiences in organizations similar to this one that works closely with foster children to give them hope.

Competing against two Seattle restaurants, Chef Emran credits the advantage he will have over his competitors – to his team at Cantinetta. Bringing to the table an extensive background in wine, they will make his dish shine as it pairs with Palazzo De La Torre.

Check back next Tuesday to find out the results!

Dave’s Killer Bread today announced the company’s Co-Founder, Dave Dahl, will present the keynote inspirational address “If I Can Do It, You Can Do It” at Freedom Project’s Summer Fundraiser event. Also featured at the event will be the Threshold Ensemble, a local improv theater group that will act out stories on the evening theme of change. The event will be held on Friday, July 15, 7-9 pm at OM Culture Center in the Fremont neighborhood at 2210 N. Pacific Street in Seattle. The public, business and civic leaders and the media are invited to attend. For more details or to RSVP, go to www.bread4freedom.com or call 206-325-5678. Cost to attend is $10. All proceeds go to Freedom Project.

The Freedom Project is a 10 year-old Seattle based non-profit organization of volunteers who teach nonviolent communication and mindfulness in four Washington State prisons. Freedom Project’s mission is to strengthen and make our communities safer through supporting the transformation of prisoners into peacemakers.

Fran Howard, Board President of Freedom Project, made the initial contact with Dave after purchasing her first loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread last year and reading his story on the bread wrapper. “Coming from many years as a FP volunteer in the prisons where we introduce Nonviolent Communication as a way for the inmates to turn their lives around, ” she said, “I felt an immediate connection with Dave and wanted to meet him to explore ways that we might collaborate. This event is the outcome of that desire and subsequent meeting.”

“It feels good to give back,” said Dave Dahl, Co-Founder, Dave’s Killer Bread. “Developing the company culture with this vision has led to our dedication to the community and desire to be part of the Freedom Project’s fundraising event.” Dave’s Killer Bread is a proud supporter of many charitable organizations throughout the Northwest and also provides job opportunities (30% of DKB staff) to former incarcerated individuals. The bakery also donates thousands of loaves of bread weekly to the homeless in Portland. 

About Dave’s Killer Bread

Dave’s Killer Bread bakes and distributes whole grain bread products throughout the Pacific Northwest at leading grocery stores and local markets. The company’s vision is “to make the world a better place… one loaf of bread at a time.” Founded by Dave Dahl, brother Glenn Dahl, and nephew Shobi Dahl, the mission of Dave’s Killer Bread is to bake the highest quality whole grain and organic bread without compromise. The company prides itself on contributing positively to the community and creating a respectful and enjoyable place for their employees to work. To learn more about Dave’s Killer Bread and NatureBake, check out the video and text version of Dave’s inspiring story: www.daveskillerbread.com/story, the company Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/daveskillerbread, and NatureBake’s website www.naturebake.com.

About Freedom Project:

The Freedom Project is a Seattle based non-profit organization of volunteers who teach nonviolent communication and mindfulness in four Washington State prisons. Freedom Project’s mission is to strengthen and make our communities safer through supporting the transformation of prisoners into peacemakers. The core of Freedom Project training is a set of practices know as Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a highly respected social and educational movement founded by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, who had common philosophical ground with the teachings of Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. After dedicating ten years in developing and refining this model, Freedom Project believes it is in a solid position to make a significant impact on the violence level wherever it is found. The organization is a 10-year old Seattle based organization and holds a proven record of decreasing violence by learning and practicing how to resolve conflict and communicate in a compassionate way.

The purpose of the July 15th event is to raise funds to help the Freedom Project organization and its activities. Visit www.bread4freedom.com for more information on the event and to learn more about Freedom Project.

2012 Seattle Schedule

Beginning May 28, 2012, the Disney Wonder will sail a total of 14 seven-night cruises from the Port of Seattle to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as Victoria, British Columbia.

These cruises will combine the natural wonder and adventurous spirit of Alaska with the unparalleled, family-friendly experience found on a Disney Cruise Line ship.   Disney Cruise Line works closely with Alaskan tour operators to create exclusive-to-Disney family-friendly Port Adventures that allow guests to best experience Alaska’s natural beauty and rich history.

On their Alaskan adventure, guests may catch a glimpse of a brown bear, bald eagle or humpback whale. They can explore magnificent glaciers and fjords in Juneau. In Ketchikan, guests can fish for some of the largest wild salmon in the world and learn about local culture through hand-carved totem poles. In Skagway, Disney Cruise Line guests can traverse panoramic landscapes by railway, or pan for gold like miners from the famous Klondike gold rush.

Rates for the seven-night Alaska cruise itinerary departing from Seattle start at $917 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit Bellevue Cruise Holidays or call Eastside Entrepreneurs Jim & Colleen Turner at:  425-453-7696

The private suite level at Safeco Field will now be known as the “Holland America Line Suite Deck.”  There will also be an annual Mariners-themed cruise onboard Holland America Line beginning in 2012, and a naming sponsorship for the annual Fan Appreciation Night, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 17. Per Seattle Mariners policy, no terms of the agreement will be released.

“Holland America Line matches up with the Seattle Mariners on so many levels.  It is a Northwest-based company with a record for giving back to the community, environmental stewardship and excellence in customer service.  We are happy to welcome Holland America Line to the Mariners Safeco Field lineup,” said Bob Aylward, Mariners Executive Vice President Corporate Business for the Seattle Mariners.

“We are pleased to partner with the Seattle Mariners, one of the country’s preeminent sports franchises,” said Richard Meadows, CTC, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Guest Programs, of Holland America Line.  “For our company, this is an ideal way to support an organization that brings so much to Seattle and to further our own philanthropic efforts by working together to make a difference.”

On Deck for the Cure

The Mariners and Holland America Line will partner on Mother’s Day in the Major League Baseball Honorary Bat Girl program.  As proud supporters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Holland America Line and the Seattle Mariners will host 200 local breast cancer survivors and their families at Safeco Field on May 8, when the Mariners take on the Chicago White Sox. This annual program is part of MLB’s “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer,” in conjunction with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Louisville Slugger.

Holland America Line’s innovative “On Deck for the Cure” program – a non-competitive 5k fundraising walk held onboard over 500 cruises a year – has raised more than $2.5 million to fight breast cancer in less than five years.  Additionally, this summer Holland America Line will host the Komen Puget Sound Affiliate’s annual Survivor Celebration luncheon for 400 guests onboard one of their cruise ships for the fourth consecutive year.

Holland America Line Get Well Tours

Holland America Line will also be the presenting sponsor of the Seattle Mariners Get Well Tours, visits to area hospitals by Mariners players and the Mariner Moose at which children will receive photos and autographs and a Holland America Line-branded sports bag filled with Mariners and baseball-related items such as replica baseballs and a stuffed Moose doll.

Holland America Line Fan Appreciation Night

Holland America Line will be the presenting sponsor of the annual Fan Appreciation Night celebration at Safeco Field.  Scheduled for Saturday, September 17, Fan Appreciation Night is a celebration of the loyalty and support of Mariners fans with random drawings for prizes throughout the game.  As part of its sponsorship, Holland America Line will provide cruises to be given away on Fan Appreciation Night.

“This year we are holding our 14^th annual Taste Washington and none of it would be possible without the generosity and commitment of our sponsors. The long standing relationships we have with our sponsors allows Taste Washington to be the world-class event that it is,” said Robin Pollard, executive director of the Washington State Wine Commission.

Taste Washington retained every Premier sponsor from the last year and nearly every other sponsor of the event, while adding some new sponsors including Fonté Coffee Roaster and Santa Vittoria. Support from premier sponsorship includes 97.3 KIRO FM, King 5, Muckleshoot Casino, QFC, Seattle Magazine, Sterling Savings Bank, and Viking.

This year’s sponsor lineup includes:

PREMIER LEVEL

97.3 KIRO FM, King 5, Muckleshoot Casino, QFC, Seattle Magazine, Sterling Savings Bank, and Viking

MAGNUM LEVEL

Double R Ranch, El Gaucho, Fonté Coffee Roaster, Riedel, Santa Vittoria, Washington Beef Commission, and Waterfront Seafood Grill

PATRON LEVEL

770 KTTH AM, Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Dilettante, Elliott’s Oyster House, Fremont Studios, Go Girl Energy Drink, Maserati and Ferrari of Seattle, Near East Couscous, Peninsula Trucking, South Seattle Community College, US Travel Doug Fox, Washington Athletic Club, Wilcox Family Farms

The BetterBricks Awards celebrate the champions of energy efficiency whose forward-thinking business practices set the industry standard for sustainability in commercial real estate. The Awards recognize architects, engineers, developers, building owners, property managers, building operators, facility managers and other building professionals for their leadership in reducing the use of energy and other resources in our commercial.

“Northwest green building professionals lead the country in their commitment to energy efficiency,” said Claire Fulenwider, Executive Director of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). “Our high caliber winners this year are making impressive strides in both the private and the public sector. They demonstrate that through innovation and collaboration, significant energy savings can be accomplished.”

Winners and finalists were selected in the following categories:

• Owner/Decision Maker: Winner — Daniel Coxall, Senior Project Executive, Hammes Company Winner — Brian Fritz, Vice President of Development, AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
• Architecture: Winner — Ron van der Veen, Principal, DLR Group
• Design Engineer: Winner — Dick Moeller, President; Norm Brown, Principal; and Finn Jakobsen, Associate, CDi Engineers, Lynnwood; Finalist — Scott Rushing, Principal, Rushing Company
• Facility Manager / Building Operations: Winner — Stephen J. Grose, Administrative Director, Virginia Mason Medical Center; Winner — Edward Krause, Chief Operating Engineer, Providence St. Peter Hospital
• Property Manager: Winner — Unico Properties Puget Sound Property Management Team; Finalist — Jeff Myrter, General Manager and Jeff Kasowski, Director of Engineering, Wright Runstad & Company
• Service Contractor: Winner — David Nieman, Senior Building Performance Engineer, & MacDonald-Miller Building Performance Group, MacDonald-Miller
• Emerging Leader: Winner — Chris Flint Chatto, Associate Partner, Sustainable Designer, ZGF Architects LLP; Winner — Jason Twill, Senior Project Manager, Sustainability, Vulcan, Inc.
• Advocate: Winner — Peter Dobrovolny, Green Building Specialist, City of Seattle; Winner — Kathleen O’Brien, President, O’Brien & Company

To achieve high performance buildings, award winners used and promoted a variety of best practices such as maximizing local climate in the design, employing early design decision-making and energy modeling, supporting building commissioning, educating tenants and brokers about sustainability and implementing better building operations. Their projects have achieved substantial energy savings, reduced building operation and maintenance costs and enhanced productivity of building occupants among other benefits.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of industry professionals, utility representatives and green building experts. Each category was sponsored by a NEEA industry partner and highlights the fact that to design, build and operate a high performance building takes many different professionals working together: American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle sponsored the architect category; Puget Sound American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) the sponsored the design engineer category; Cascadia Region Green Building Council, sponsored the advocate category; Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Seattle/King County the new property manager category; Urban Land Institute (ULI) sponsored the owner/developer category; International Facility Management Association (IFMA) sponsored the facility manager/operator category and Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) sponsored the service contractor category.

Utilities also play a key role in high performance buildings by providing technical assistance and incentives for high efficient equipment. Through its BetterBricks initiative, NEEA partnered with Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power and Snohomish County PUD to both judge and sponsor the 2011 Puget Sound BetterBricks Awards.

BetterBricks is the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), which is supported by Northwest electric utilities.  Through BetterBricks, NEEA advances ideas to accelerate energy savings in new and existing commercial buildings.  BetterBricks education and training, online resources and recognition of industry leaders guide and inspire building professionals to embrace best practices, improve energy performance and achieve their sustainability goals.  Visit www.BetterBricks.com to connect to these powerful energy ideas and more.

Puget Sound Energy offers a full array of commercial rebates, custom grants and services that support energy efficiency in your buildings and business practices. We offer financial incentives for small and large businesses and for building owners. For more information, contact a PSE Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, or visit www.PSE .com. Puget Sound Energy. The energy to do great things.

Seattle City Light partners with commercial and industrial customers to conserve electricity. Saving electricity is the most cost-effective way to meet our future energy needs. To encourage adoption of energy-saving technologies, Seattle City Light offers free site facility energy surveys and technical advice, and rebates to promote energy-saving upgrades. Energy efficiency programs are available for both existing buildings and new construction.  Visit www.seattle.gov/light/conserv or call 206-684-3800 for more information.

Snohomish County PUD offers commercial and industrial customers a variety of energy programs and technical services including financial incentives for the installation of efficient equipment in both existing buildings and new construction.  For details, visit us at www.snopud.com or call 425-783-1700.

Tacoma Power offers our New Construction program for commercial and business customers. We provide rebates, prescriptive incentives and custom incentives for a winde range of energy efficiency measures. Additional incentives are also available to building designers and owners with efficiency projects that beat the energy code by 30 percent or more. For more information, call 253-502-8619, or visit knowyourpower.com.

“Since AJC is a recognized global leader in inter-group and inter-faith relations, the festival showcases films that bridge cultural, geographical, historical and psychological divides,” says Festival Director Pamela Lavitt.  Films such as PRECIOUS LIFE, about an Israeli doctor’s deepening rapport with a Muslim patient’s mother, DELICIOUS PEACE which tells the story of a Ugandan Jewish/Muslim/Christian fair-trade coffee cooperative and 100 VOICES about Jewish-Polish healing through music, are great examples.

“What’s more,” Lavitt continues, “the festival’s focus is building cinematic bridges through dialogue, with a concerted effort to program an unprecedented number of filmmakers, speakers and AJC experts including Jason Isaascson, AJC’s Director of International Affairs and Rabbi Randy Brown, Assistant Director of Inter-religious and Inter-group Affairs to ensure meaningful exchanges as audiences cross cinematic chasms together.”  Opening Night guest and this year’s AJC-SJFF Reel Difference Award recipient is acclaimed Israeli director Eran Riklis (SYRIAN BRIDE, LEMON TREE) who will screen and discuss his new film THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER and his award-winning and bridge-building, border-crossing cinematic landscapes.

The “AJC Bridge Series” debuts at this year’s festival and includes four films examining AJC’s bridge-building mission through film, musical performance and vibrant

discussions.  Films include A PRECIOUS LIFE (March 13), DELICIOUS PEACE GROWS IN A UGANDAN COFFEE BEAN (March 14), THE ROUND-UP and the closing night program featuring 100 VOICES: A JOURNEY HOME (March 20).  Films on Monday, March 14 including DELICIOUS PEACE, A SMALL ACT and WRONG SIDE OF THE BUS focus on “Jewish Activism in Africa.”

The “Sweets 16” Screenings encourage festival-goers to enjoy “Sweet Treat” screenings sponsored by local sweet vendors such as Holly Levin/The Cake Lady, Top Pot Doughnuts, Central Coop, Trabant Coffee & Chai and Blazing Bagels.

This year’s festival gets underway with a Red Carpet Launch Party and Short Film Program on March 3 at the Tom Douglas Palace Ballroom.  The event showcases “culinary bridges” and creative Jewish cuisine, an international “spice market” of global flavors, the transnational rhythms of The Eli Rosenblatt Band and an exclusive short film series, all celebrating AJC-SJFF’s “Spicy Sweet 16.”

Venues include AMC Pacific Place 11, SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall, Stroum JCC and the popular online streaming short film festival at IndieFlix.com.

• Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org/tickets or by calling the ticket hotline at 206.324.9996.

• The festival runs March 12-20 and a full schedule of screenings, special events and guest speakers is available at www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org or www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org/event.

The Heart Ball is the American Heart Association’s signature gala, bringing together over 350 of Seattle’s business, community and medical leaders to celebrate the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association.  This year’s event is co-chaired by Dr. Gordon and Trisha Cohen of Seattle Children’s Hospital.

The evening’s program celebrates local survivors and their success stories, highlights the impact of heart disease in children and their families, and efforts by the American Heart Association to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

This year the American Heart Association is proud to name Dr. Stanley Stamm, retired pediatric cardiologist from Seattle Children’s Hospital, as its Golden Heart Honoree.  Dr. Stamm is being honored for his dedication to heal and improve the lives of sick children, including starting a summer camp for children with serious illnesses.

Heart Ball guests enjoy an evening of dining, auction, and live entertainment.  Proceeds help support the lifesaving research and programs funded by the American Heart Association. Currently, the Heart Association has $6.59 million invested in cardiovascular research grants at various institutions throughout Washington state.

WHEN:

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Cocktails and Silent Auction at 6:00 p.m.

Dinner, Live Auction and Entertainment to follow

WHERE:

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University Street, Seattle, WA 98101

TICKETS/EVENT INFO:

Visit http://www.seattleheartball.com/ or contact the American Heart Association at (206) 834-8616.

About the American Heart Association

Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke.  To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health.  To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit http://www.heart.org/.