Last weekend my mom, aunt, and three of my cousins drove five hours from Red Lake Falls, MN to Minneapolis to catch a plane to Seattle for the weekend. I fret, as I always do when family comes to town, about where to take them, what to share with them, how I can best show them the spirit of this great city. After some back and forth planning with my mom, we settled on tourist day (Underground Tour, Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market), an overnight trip to Ocean Shores, and a day trip to Stanwood and Oak Harbor to visit our extended family.

Tourist day turned out to be one of my favorites. I am a Seattleite that does not take Pike Place Market for granted. ‘Tis not just a tourist stop when friends and family visit. Rain, snow, or sunshine I often trek to the market for my seafood and produce. When I do take visitors to the market, though, we often overlook the produce, look at the pretty flowers, and scope out local souvenirs for my visitors to take home with them.

On this particular trip, I desired to show my family the larger purpose of the market. I introduced my mom to the owner of my favorite produce stand and my fishmonger. We purchased tomatoes, parsley, and garlic and picked out prawns, clams, and scallops to bring home to make my husband’s spaghetti and seafood.

Making dinner was a live television show. It felt like a new series on the Food Network; everyone gathered around the kitchen counter and watched intently as my husband chopped the garlic and parsley. We could have easily brought in a camera or two and given my husband a few minutes of fame. He is always so proud of this dish; he shared tips and tricks with my family, recounted the story of our ceramic-glazed Italian clay pot, told everyone how he perfected the recipe. This was exactly the Seattle experience I desired to share with my family.

We said grace when we sat down to eat the spaghetti and seafood, thankful for this market feast. After a few bites, everyone was silent but for a few “yums” and “this is amazing.” The market to meal experience was such a hit, we returned to Pike Place the following day for salmon and asparagus. The home cooked meals trumped our dining out experiences and I was successful in sharing a true slice of my Seattle life.