I have been writing the Healthy Eating column for the My Neighborhood News Network since 2018. While Restaurant News writer Kathy Passage is taking a break from covering the food scene in our area, I will be filling in for her.I will continue to bring you the Healthy Eating column as well, but I look forward to exploring the diverse cuisines that we can find in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace.

I have worked in restaurants and bakeries in the Midwest, East Coast and the Pacific Northwest. I went to culinary school in Connecticut and New York. I know my way around a kitchen and enjoy learning new things about food and drink. Recognizing that COVID has been a huge challenge for restaurants, I hope to revisit established places as well as bring you news about new eateries that are opening.  It’s taken me some time to get comfortable eating out during the past few years, but I’ve ordered my share of take-out meals when I had kitchen “fatigue.” As things continue to open up, it will be a pleasure to discover new places as well.

I am asking readers to send me news about favorite spots and new places that you have discovered. Are there cuisines that you haven’t tried but might like to sample with the help of a “guide”? I’d love to “decode” international foods that you may not be familiar with but would love to enjoy locally.

One of my favorite columns in the now-defunct Gourmet magazine was the “You Asked for It” feature. Readers asked the editors at Gourmet to track down the recipe for a favorite dish that they had eaten at a restaurant somewhere in the world–and then publish it. I would love to attempt to do a similar column for favorite dishes from local restaurants.  In my Healthy Eating column I highlighted Conor O’Neill’s favorite pancakes from The Cottage Bakery. Please send me your ideas for dishes for which you would love the recipe  No guarantee that I’ll be successful but I will certainly try. I’ve been able to get recipes from a few local chefs already. In my experience, chefs are flattered to be asked.  One caveat…we might get a recipe that will feed at least 50 people!

I rely on this community to tell me about news you hear on the street about restaurants, coffee shops, pizza joints, cafes and food trucks. Just this week, I read on Facebook that Moto Pizza of West Seattle will be coming to downtown Edmonds in the location of the Bop N Burger on Main Street.  Stay tuned for more news about it here. Heard about a new place? A new menu item? Email me with your tips and requests.

I look forward to serving you as I explore the culinary delights of our neighborhoods.

—  By Deborah Binder

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She is “dancing with N.E.D.” (no evidence of disease) after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009. She is a foodie who loves to cook from scratch and share her experiments with her family and friends. She attended culinary school on the East Coast and freelances around town for local chefs. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including butter.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.