TOM DOUGLAS

When I wrote my cookbook, 'I Love Crab Cakes,' I asked some of my best chef buddies to contribute recipes.

I have an affinity for the old Seattle coffee shops, places like the Green Onion and the Copper Kettle, the classic kind of coffee bar - little places that served breakfast, lunch and dinner and have pretty much disappeared.

I was driving around the country when I was 19 and happened to run out of cash in Seattle, so I settled here.

Cooks are an undervalued, awesome profession.

If deep-frying catfish, try a dredge of seasoned flour and cornmeal and add some bacon fat to the oil.

Catfish's mild taste adapts well to a wide array of flavors, especially strong assertive ones, which is why you used to see it 'blackened' Cajun style on so many restaurant menus - a trick which soon became a tired cliche.

How can anyone live off of minimum wage?

Tender and sweet, Manila clams partner well with a wide variety of foods - white wine, sake, beer, butter, leeks, fresh herbs, roasted peppers, olives, and wild mushrooms, to name a few.

I love being able to help promote Seattle to travelers worldwide.

I particularly like to make crunchy slices of garlic bread to serve with steamed clams.

It's important that your shucked oyster is clean and pristine.

If you just feel lazy and don't want to cook, then don't cook.

If you want something beautiful to put on the dinner table, pick up a sockeye, the salmon species with the most vivid red flesh.

I pay a living wage, I believe in healthcare, I declare all my income, and I don't cut corners.

Pork is my friend.

If you don't have the confidence in baking, commit to making the recipe three times. The first two, do it exactly the way I've told you to make it. Twice. The first time you'll screw it up. The second time it will come out pretty good, and then the third time, make your adjustments.

The key to great fried squid is 'flash-frying' in hot oil for only a few minutes, which keeps it tender.

Spooning a seasonal fruit relish onto a plate of grilled king salmon is very much my style - flavorful, straightforward, and unfussy. I also like the way fresh, ripe fruit balances the richness of the salmon.

The classic Italian green sauce, salsa verde, is easy to make and especially nice in the spring when bunches of fresh herbs start appearing in the farmers market or in your garden.

Most of America doesn't pay dishwashers $10.

There's natural mentoring that goes on in my life every day.

Over the years I've tweaked my stuffing recipe many times, adding a variety of ingredients like sauteed wild mushrooms, dried cherries, fresh chevre, toasted hazelnuts, chopped ham hock meat, and other taste treats.

I can't stand it when restaurants don't have a sense of place in a city. When I'm in London, I want to know I'm in London. When you're sitting in my joint, you know you're sitting in Seattle.

My dad never explained anything growing up.

I want to do the basic things, like putting my daughter to bed. It's the sweetest thing.