KEN SWARNER: GO NORTHWEST! >>>

While researching my food story on Pacific Northwest flavors for tomorrow’s Weekly Volcano, I reflected often on my favorite Northwest flavors.

I appreciate the simplicity of our cuisine â€" the freshness and abundance.

Putting those feelings into one perfect meal depends on the mood and seasons, but this winter, time and time again, I made my meal plans in the seafood aisle at Albertsons with a spice I grabbed from El Gaucho.

All winter, Albertsons on Steilacoom Boulevard in Lakewood offered fresh (most of the time), wild (almost exclusively) caught steelhead for $4.60 to $8 a pound depending on the week. The flavor and aroma were stellar.

The El Gaucho spice retails for $15 â€" you can pick it up at any El Gaucho location. They wouldn’t divulge the ingredients, but I’d call it a Johnny Seasoning-like concoction with a more gourmet, smooth taste. It’s ideal for salmon.

Once home, I took the steelhead, spritzed a light layer of olive oil on the meat, spread the El Gaucho spice across the sheen, then baked the fish at 400 degrees until done.

If that’s the flavor of NW living, I’m staying.

LINK: Pacific Northwest flavors.

MATT DRISCOLL: WONDERING WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS >>>

Rumors swirl. Guesses fly. Bloggers of Tacoma sit and wait.

Has R.R. Anderson really given up his long running commentary of Tacoma City Council Meetings? (Please, god! Say it aint so!)

According to last week's posting, that seems to be the case.

But things are rarely the way they seem on the surface in Tacoma.

I guess we'll all have to wait and see...

MATT DRISCOLL: SIZE THIRTEEN CARBON FOOTPRINT >>>

Like just about everyone except one batshit crazy “scientist” and maybe President Bush, the Tacoma City Council is concerned about carbon emissions and global warming. It’s a sign of the times, and hopefully a move in the right direction.

For this reason the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force was created. While it’s a mouthful to say, the Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force is less concerned with their cumbersome name than they are about reducing Tacoma’s carbon footprint.

The Task Force has been racking their brains about ways to go about this, and during the course of four public meetings this month they’ll unveil their thoughts on the subject as well as take comments from the people of Tacoma. According to a press release which hit Weekly Volcano World Headquarters today, the schedule of meetings will be as follows:

- April 9, 6 - 7:30 p.m. â€" Landmark Convention Center (Temple Theater), 47 St. Helens Ave.
- April 10, 6 - 7:30 p.m. â€" UPS, Kilworth Lounge (in Kilworth Chapel) on North 18th Street
- April 16, 6 - 7:30 p.m. â€" Allen Russell Building, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
- April 17, 6 - 7:30 p.m. â€" South End Neighborhood Center, 7802 S. L St.
 

Expect Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force co-chairs Joanne Buselmeier of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and Ryan Mello of the Cascade Land Conservancy to make recommendations for Tacoma at these meetings, including ways to reduce energy consumption, reduce miles driven by cars, promote green building, expand urban forests, and increase recycling.

THE FILM
From Russia, with love
As Elle magazine taught me in 2001, "No one knows how to play dress-up better than a czarina." I’m happy to announce that I’m bringing the czarina fashion trend back in a big way tonight. The fur hat, the boots, the flask full of Becherovka (just kidding), and I will attend the Tacoma International Food & Film Festival featuring Russian food and the flick, The Italian. It’s a story of a Russian orphan girl trying to find her real parents. â€" Suzy Stump
[Blue Mouse Theatre, 5:45 p.m., food, 7 p.m. film, $18, North 26th Street and North Proctor Street, Tacoma, 253.752.9500]

PUNK
The Subhumans
The history of the Subhumans begins in the UK in 1980. Formed in the Trowbridge and Melksham area of Wiltshire, the band started to take off after frontman Dick Lucas joined the mix late that year. For the next five years the Subhumans delivered some of the most important punk of the era. Though they broke up in 1985, the band reformed in 1998 to capitalize on the name they built. In between, Lucas formed Citizen Fish in 1990, only adding to his legacy as a forerunner of punk and ska.

But just because they’re legendary, don’t think the Subhumans are resting on their accomplishments. In ’07 they released Internal Riot, which has received surprisingly strong reviews considering how fickle old school punk fans can be. Bobble Tiki caught up with Lucas last week to discuss the band’s latest record, history, and upcoming stop in Tacoma.
[Hell’s Kitchen, The Subhumans, The Insurgence, Red White & Die, CLR, 6 p.m., all ages, $12, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

LINK: Montana Slim and others in the clubs.
LINK: Steph DeRosa wants to know what makes you happy.
LINK: Let’s eat Pacific Northwest flavors.

KEN SWARNER: TIME WITH TOM >>>

Researching my Pacific Northwest flavors piece in today’s Weekly Volcano included an interview with Tom Nelson, chief instructor at the online-based fishing school Salmon University located at the north end of Hood Canal.

While salmon span the globe, certainly they are highly respected and often synonymous with our regional cuisine.

I asked Nelson what makes a good salmon. He says the flavor is in the kill.

“You have to hit the salmon on the head â€" stun it, cut its gills, bleed it out for 15 minutes, clean it then put it immediately on ice,” Nelson describes. “That process improves the flavor.”

Next, I asked Nelson, who incidentally helped develop many of the techniques and lures used by the top West Coast sports anglers, which salmon species he likes best to eat.

“I’ve eaten so much salmon I’ve lost my taste for it,” he confesses.

As for his favorite place to eat fish when not dining at home?

“I’d have to pick any of the Anthony restaurants,” he says.

Interesting answers.

LINK: Pacific Northwest flavors.

STEPH DEROSA: THE WAITING GAME >>>

The KAke had to rent a movie the other night for her needy, sick boyfriend, so we stopped by Stadium Video to check one out. Bored out of our minds and eager for some action, BanditoBetty and I split upstairs to toss one back at the lounge behind The Harvester.

There were a couple of tables occupied, but the bar was completely empty, so we bellied up.

“Yum,” we thought, “What should we have?” We greedily rubbed our hands together, anxiously waiting for the bartender to ease our thirst.  The ambiance, décor, and feel of the lounge soaked up all our cravings we had for a true dive bar experience.

But then â€" we waited.  And we waited.  And we waited.

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD
Bellwether \BEL-weth-uhr\, noun:
A leader of a movement or activity; also, a leading indicator of future trends.

USAGE EXAMPLE: As the popularity of cheap beer gains momentum with hipsters across the country, it can be said that Tacoma has been a bellwether in the development. Tacoma has always loved cheap beer.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Kaboom

OLYMPIA: Momentary break

SEATTLE: J.P. is 80

UNITED STATES: How to fix Bush's mess

THINGS TO DO TODAY
FILM LISTINGS: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: THEATER THURSDAY >>>

Slide Show
The musical about conjoined twins who seek a life outside of the freak show circuit at the twilight of vaudeville only to find the world is accepting at first and then cruel at its core, ends its run this week at Capital Playhouse.
[Capital Playhouse, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, $21-$27, 612 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.2744]

James and the Giant Peach
A children's play about a boy who escapes the world by climbing into a big citrus fruit in his front yard and talks to the bugs inside, continues its run at Olympia Family Theatre through April 6.
[South Puget Sound Community College's Minnaert Center for the Arts-Auditorium, 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, $8-$15, 2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia, 360.596.5501]

The Jungle Book
Gig Harbor's Encore Youth Theater announces two performances of The Jungle Book, the musical  Saturday. The adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's story about Mowgli, the young boy raised by wolves in the jungle is set to music as it tells of Mowgli's adventures with a talking bear and an evil snake.
[Encore! Theater, 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, $5, 6615 38th Ave. N.W., Gig Harbor, 253.858.2282]

MATT DRISCOLL: SCHRAG'S AT THE LIBRARY, YO! >>>

Tonight in the Tacoma Public Library’s Olympic Room, the subject will be protest songs, and the discussion promises to be lively.

The event, which starts at 7 p.m., is being called “The Songs They Carried: a community conversation about the music of protest.” At least that’s what it’s being called by the Tacoma Public Library â€" who organized the event as part of their Tacoma Reads Together campaign. The title is surely a play on The Things They Carried, a collection of short stories by Tim O’Brien chosen by Mayor Bill Baarsma as the 2008 selection Tacoma Reads Together â€" which as a citywide community initiative suggests a book for Tacoma to read and discuss every year.

Panelists for tonight’s discussion about protest songs include Lyle Quasim, the Weekly Volcano’s Paul Schrag (who’s also a music industry professional), singer and songwriter Jim Page, and spoken word artist Josh Rizeberg. According to the Tacoma Public Library panelists will be exploring “the roots and growth of the protest song, and the ways in which the songs reflect the anger and concerns of generations of Americans.”

Sounds a lot better than crap TV to me, but I suppose that’s for you to decide.

MATT DRISCOLL: LOVES HIM SOME GIRL TROUBLE >>>

I just received word via MySpace bulletin from Girl Trouble that the band has posted much anticipated new music on their MySpace page.

"If you haven't noticed we finally put a few new songs up," read the bulletin. I obviously hadn't noticed or I'd have posted this sooner.

"The opener is one we just recorded with Sam Olsen at the Trashtown Studios. It's an Anthony Newly favorite called "The Joker." "Mr. Thackeray's Day Off" examines how To Sir With Love's main character might spend his weekend."

Check out the tunes www.myspace.com/girltrouble ">here.