I wasn’t much of a football fan growing up. Soccer, the other football, was the sport in my high school, and my NFL team, the Boston Patriots, who played in Fenway Park (remember that?), were not a contender (1970 record of 2-12). When they moved to the new stadium not much changed (1975 - 3-11). The only time I went to Schaefer Stadium, now Gillette Stadium, was for a Beach Boys concert.

We did, however, have the Celtics, the Bruins, and the Red Sox and we had Fenway Park (though the Red Sox had not been in the series since ’67). The Red Sox taught me to try, try, try again. My Dad, a longtime Red Sox fan, never expected to see them win the World Series in his lifetime. He did, though it took 84 years which was a good part of his life, for it to happen. Now that is perseverance! Though during the series, he still couldn’t get himself to watch the games, as he prepared himself for disappointment and was afraid that the Curse of the Bambino would hold true. They won in 4 games.

The last time the Mariners made the playoffs was 2001. That 116 win team was on a roll, only to be disrupted by world events. We haven’t really been close since. So, it is exciting to see the playoffs so close, yet it feels like the Red Sox all over again.

What the Mariners have excelled at since 1999 is having one of the best ballparks in the country for the fans (though not so much for the players) and for the food. Consistently ranked as having the best food in a ballpark.

From wonton and pork bao buns from Din Tai Fung, yes Din Tai Fung, to lobster on Hawaiian Rolls.

And the bold move of having Oaxacan chapulines which turned into a fan favorite selling out before the 7th inning stretch, the day they were introduced! Not familiar with them? They are toasted grasshoppers in a zippy citrus seasoning.

The ballpark is filled with locally made foods like customizable ice cream sandwiches, made with Snoqualmie Ice Cream and Lopez Island Creamery Ice Cream, to Just Poké Salmon Bowls!

Not a baseball fan? It is still worth the price of admission to walk around the stadium and eat. The walk gives some of the best views of the diamond you will see in a ballpark.

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With a wonderful mixture of olive oil, lemon, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese and more, all topped with a touch of salmon, or any protein (like tuna or chicken), this recipe is simple and easy to make. The protein is a supporting member, not the focus.

With so many elements a chopped salad is a complex texture to munch on.

See the Chopped Salad With Salmon Recipe here!

Keta Salmon's scientific name is Oncorhynchus keta, and it has also been called chum. This salmon has a lighter flesh color than the more familiar King and Sockeye, and is just as delicious, just different.

Less salmon’ee in flavor, it has good body and texture. Keta salmon spend 3 to 4 years in the ocean before returning to the freshwater of their home to spawn.

This salmon is delicious, not because it has the same flavor characteristics of a sockeye or a king, but because as a fish it is quite tasty. When it comes out of the pouch it is soft and supple, the layers are flaky and the fork easily separates the body. The bite is delightful!

Perfect for a late night snack when no one else is around so you don’t have to share, or take it on a exclusive picnic by yourself or with one other.

This is a nice piece of fish. The added bonus is that it is shelf stable, perfect for the RV or a camping trip. Keep a pouch in the glove box or your backpack, at the ready for the next craving!

Shop now for Lummi Island Wild Smoked Keta Salmon!

Adding more 3 dimensional elements to your pasta dish gives it a more substantial visual appeal. Using anchovy to give it some punch without too much, and the green of broccoli makes this feel like a complete meal.

A little more effort than opening a can it is still quite easy and there's something about adding cream to a sauce that makes everything right in the world.

See the Farfalle with Broccoli and Anchovy Recipe Here!

Traditional farfalle (bowtie) pasta - drawn through bronze, so that the surface is rough, and ready to take whatever sauce you invent. Just like when you were a kid - but way way better. Made only with certified Italian grown Durum wheat.

Shop now for Sgambaro Farfalle Bowtie Pasta!

From the crunch of the little seeds to the stickiness so expected from figs, this jam is perfect.

Inside this jar you get the texture and taste of a fig but in a spreadable, smoothable jam. Wow! What could be better?

For the nose, there’s not much to smell, to the mouth, there is joy filled with this intense richness of coffee, the sweetness of fruit and an explosion of freshness.

Shop now for La Trinquelinette Fig Jam!

This oil is smooth and special every year.

To the nose, it is wild and full of olive and super tingly to the inner nostril hairs.

The color is a light yellow green, without any dark shadows or edges on the spoon.

To the tip of the tongue, there are some great wonderful soft touches. It feels good. The flavor of the oil is distinct and you can taste it with just a touch.

Full of richness, a mouthful will surprise you. It starts like a nice French oil, buttery and vapory, and just as it disappears there is an explosion of olive and just before, if you pay attention, your nose will tingle again, and then you will get this, almost an assault, a large push of tickle, actually a massive tickle that makes you cough. Some might think it is a peppery finish, which it is, yet it is not an Italian peppery kick.

It starts so round and finishes with a great olive cloud. The punch is the surprise and the flavor is so special. This is the best this oil has been in forever!

Chateau Virant Famille Cheylan, AOP Huile d’Olive D’aix-en-Provence, is the Concours Général Agricole, Médaille d’OR (Gold Medal) winner, Paris 2020!

Shop now for Chateau Virant AOC Olive Oil!

This elevated-quality of this Ponzu has not just one or two citrus fruits, this one has four different citruses. It makes it more round, more fragrant, more surprising, the combination is just more!

The blend brings you a combination of flavor notes that is complex yet gentle.

To the nose, it has a wonderful sweet combo-citrus whiff. Yuzu is the upfront aroma. The Daidai gives it the sweetness, and if you inhale long enough and let it sit in your nostrils for a moment, you get a touch of acidity, present but not bold, from the Sudachi. It must be the Yukou that adds the gentleness and floral notes.

When poured onto a spoon the aroma fills the air with a less pronounced citrus and more of a woodsy and not quite smoky note. The taste is an unmistakable base of shoyu with complexity and a lightness of being that doesn’t overpower your taste sensors like a shoyu can.

The color is like a medium shoyu.

This combination of flavors is clearly well-considered, brought together just as you might bring 3 olives together to make an olive oil, tasted until it is perfectly correct. And then tasted again and again just to be sure.

Because it is so palatable on the spoon you can imagine how you might use this to dip sushi, sashimi, vegetables or to drizzle over some soba noodles. Just the right amount of umami flavor that is emphasized by the Ma Konbu dashi that Suehiro has added.

This is the beautiful kind of flavorful ingredient you will add today to what you didn’t think of yesterday. A touch of this Ponzu can make your day better.

Shop now for Suehiro Ponzu Sauce!