Welcome to my little corner of the interwebs, where you’ll find that saucy refers to the bold, fresh recipes and cheeky writing of your resident Seattleite.

Sau·cy /ˈsôsē/

1. Impudent; flippant.
2. Bold and lively; smart-looking.
3. Sexually suggestive, typically in a way intended to be lighthearted.

The single shot:

I am a classically trained chef with a degree in culinary nutrition, but I am not a health-crazed nutrition nut. I am a fan of a diet rich in fresh produce, whole grains, nuts and seeds. I appreciate natural, unprocessed foods and think that most everything can be enjoyed in moderation. I particularly enjoy boozy brunches, walks around Greenlake, Manny’s Pale Ale, crumbly Beecher’s Flagship cheese, shopping for foreign delicacies at Uwajimaya in the International District, and the dribble of summer peach nectar down my chin.

The doppio espresso:

Like any respectable, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing Seattle kid, I grew up eating whole grain bread, natural peanut butter, local salmon and fresh berries and apples. We frolicked on the sandy shores of Puget Sound and swam in the frigid waters of Lake Washington in the summer, and zipped down the snowy Cascade Mountains on skis, snowboards and inner tubes in the winter. I developed a hyper-aware sense of the importance of preserving nature as a child, flinging stinging insults such as “litter bug” when I noticed anyone practicing less than politically correct waste disposal conduct.

Although it might sound like it, I didn’t grow up in a hippy forest commune though and one of the things I looked forward to the most as a child were the PBS cooking shows that aired on Saturday afternoons. Encouraged by Julia Child and Jacque Pepin’s friendly banter over flambéed cherries Jubilee or succulent duck à l’orange, I would run into the kitchen and beg my parents to let me cobble together an inspired creation from whatever I could find in the cupboards.

Often, the experiments were edible, and sometimes I would coerce my brother into working as camera man with the lure of treats to come, while I acted the part of Martha Stewart’s next protégé. Much to my parent’s dismay, the kitchen was an inevitable mess with chocolate “cakes” blown up in the microwave, empanada dough scraps on the floor and crusty dishes in the sink.

Those early experiences with food fostered an appreciation, and later an obsession, for tinkering, testing and tasting all things edible. By the time I graduated from high school I knew in my heart that the only way I would be happy as an adult is if I kept playing with food. So, I left the Emerald City for culinary school and came back four years later with a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University.

What I learned there was the importance of a holistic approach, not just to food but to life. That growing your own food connects you with the earth, making each edible morsel taste that much sweeter. That supporting local farmers, artisans and philanthropic organizations connects you with your community in a way that Facebook can’t. That eating thoughtfully-sourced and well-prepared meals takes a lot of work.

I also learned that there’s a certain kind of personal satisfaction that can only come from hand-shucking fresh beans, working supple bread dough or pinching fresh pasta. One of life’s greatest pleasures is undoubtedly the sharing of a homemade meal with family and friends.

So, I make it my personal mission to bring you enticing recipes, crisp photos and good stories that will inspire you to get into your kitchen, whether you’re in Spokane, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Shanghai or right here in Seattle.

If ya feel like dropping me a line, I would love to hear what you think. I’ll try to respond to all comments and questions here, or if you would like to email me, my address is eamunday (at) gmail (dot) com.

The entire contents of this site, including photos, are protected by copyright. Please do not use any content on this site without my permission. Thank you in advance!

The Saucy Seattleite by Emily Munday is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.