Bounty of poems, art, recipes in book

Poets are people. They get hungry, make shopping lists, cook.

You can find their hankerings and appetites in "The Empty Bowl Cookbook," a new anthology published by the Madrona Project.

The celebration rollout of the "Cookbook" takes place 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Pelican Bay Bookstore in Anacortes. Twelve writers will read their work along with other favorites from the book. La Conner poet and chef Georgia Johnson, who co-curates these monthly poetry readings, helped assemble this poetry/recipe collection.

Johnson divided the 150 or so pieces into seven piles "(each) based on an emotion," she said. "Then I decided how I wanted the emotions to flow." The resulting interpolation of images, words and recipes features several writers and artists who live and labor in and around La Conner.

The late Robert Sund's ode to the lemon cucumbers in his garden opens the book. Former La Conner High School teacher Melanie Graham muses on the food culture of first peoples. This reporter shares her mother's pointers for being a good hostess. Poet/farmer Jessica Gigot of Bow picks blackberries with her daughters and enjoys a late-season tomato. Three Maggie Wilder paintings capture mouth-watering favorite dishes and ingredients. And the late strawberry farmer Donald Kruse offers a poetic sampling of his crops in "Locavore's Guide to Skagit Valley Strawberries."

Some poems and prose poems are recipes. Bellingham poet Chuck Luckmann's "Granola Spirit" chronicles his introduction to granola on a 1969 road trip and includes a recipe "for enough granola to feed four men on a month-long trek," Johnson says.

"Go out between Sucia and Patos islands, can't tell you exactly where, but you'll need a depth of over 300', a slack tide and not much wind," writes Bellingham poet Luther Allen, on cooking prawns on a boat after they come out of a trap.

An open flame on a boat is not a good idea, Allen reminds readers – and so Johnson begins the book with a Kitchen Note: "You will find recipes, recollections of recipes, recipes turned into poems, here. Please note that none of these has been tested ... contact the author for certainty."

For example, Olympic Peninsula poet Gary Bullock's instructions for "Dungeness Salmon Ambrosia Salad" begins:

"Reserve 40 feet of Mount Olympus snowpack. Filter, percolate and grind through eons of granite and basalt."

In real life a scrupulous recipe tester, Johnson did vet a few quantities and ingredients. "I wanted to make that if somebody wanted to try to a recipe, they would have a good chance," she said. "But I know the authors would be thrilled to hear from people!"

Supper will not be served at the Jan. 20 Pelican Bay reading. Copies of "The Empty Bowl Cookbook" will be available – and very soon at the Museum of Northwest Art, as well.