It's always cause for celebration when someone from Seattle makes it onto the national circuit for good reason, so today, we're raising a latte to Dani Cone. more ›

So you thought it was going to be a lot of work, all this holiday cooking? We know, just thinking about it can be exhausting. The spirit of fussy Martha Stewart dueling with the ghost of drop-the-turkey-on-the-floor Julia Child? Top Chef duking it out with Iron Chef? Paula Dean versus Rachael Ray? It's enough to make you send for Chinese takeout. more ›

• We knew we'd heard that name somewhere--Steve Almond, who wrote a lovely innocuous column for Martha Stewart Living about Christmas candy, is familiar to us through his at-times NSFW short story collections. Matthew at Roots & Grubs points out that he, too, can write about Christmas candy, and his bibliography is 99% safe and Martha-approved.
• West Seattle Blog breaks out the snow talk! They're pointing everyone towards a community Christmas tree lighting, and as is the usual, WSB also has a scoop: the weatherman has a blog.
• The school closure meetings have everyone in a tizzy about their neighborhood schools. Capitol Hill Seattle reports with relief on their beloved Lowell, which was removed from the closure list, and the commenters react with skepticism and challenging questions (like, what happened to all the rhetoric about Lowell's building falling apart?).

Birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and celebrations alike have at least one cool thing in common: cake. In this instance, it’s cupcakes. Recently, we celebrated a birthday, and the cupcakes (specifically the frosting) were too good not to share them with you! Our sister-in-law, the pastry chef extraordinaire, was the mastermind behind the dessert. She concocted the frosting and was willing to let everyone in on her secrets. She knows how to play with a recipe to make it just right. Make this frosting at the next social gathering, and you might find yourself on the Martha Stewart Show too! more ›

The 4th Annual Care for the Market luncheon, held yesterday at The Paramount Theatre, was a wake-up call for us. When we think of Pike Place Market, we picture ourselves gorging on Beecher's macaroni and cheese. We envision ourselves carrying bundles of ginormous dahlias, sampling oh-my-god-these-are-good peaches, and listening to the funky sounds of street musicians. We don't necessarily think of meals and housing for low-income senior citizens, childcare for those who can't otherwise afford it, and a food bank that gives a quarter of a million bags of groceries to neighbors in need each year. But yesterday, were asked to think of the historical and social importance of the market. more ›

Charles Simonyi, the man who gave us Microsoft Word, has been sent into space by the Russian government as punishment for the development of "smart quotes." more ›

We woke this morning with a smile because for once in our topsy-turvy lives, we were going to indulge in a pastry baked by someone else. We were going to Ballard’s Cafe Besalu. The last time we went to Besalu we were en route to the Sunday Farmer’s market and ordered just one croissant to share with our market buddy--we knew we’d sunk very low when we shouted “Hey look, free beets!” in a ploy to scarf the last bite. This morning, we were going to do Cafe Besalu justice: sit at a table, order a coffee and a pastry and not share with anyone. more ›

But of course, Amy Sedaris was wonderful at Neumo's last night: charming and funny and crafty and crude. Everything we look for in a lady. She sat onstage in a big comfy chair for a little chat with local film czar Warren Etheredge, mostly about her new book and related tales of party-hosting, but also about her run-in with Martha Stewart (a very masculine woman), her appearance on My Name Is Earl (could be recurring), and her foul-mouthed Piglet impression (completely hilarious). The full house ate it up, just like the tasty treats provided by Cupcake Royale. more ›

This weekend, Seattlest will be representing at a high school basketball game, a chamber music concert, a church in Burien, and Alderwood Babies-R-Us, respectively. For the full 411, see below. more ›

We know, we know...you've been patiently waiting for this unscientific list of why Seattle's food scene is better than nearly any other city's food scene. Petitions have been drawn, bets have been placed. So let's not wait any longer, shall we? more ›

It may be well into the Grey's Anatomy season--so well in fact that next week is the finale--but hey, it's never too late for a little basic character backstory, right? Right. So this week we find out what we should've known months ago: Izzie's relationship with her mother, what McDreamy's deal is, and how Dr. Alex is one cocky bastard. Oh, wait--that last one we've known since the beginning. Everything else, though, is new. more ›

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