Ballard author, Karen Gaudette, has published her first book, “Seafood Lover's Pacific Northwest: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions.”

Gaudette’s book is a guide that covers the array of seafood restaurants, oyster bars, festivals, foraging and adventures in the Pacific Northwest. The book is primarily a guidebook to enjoying regional food and tips for adventures along the way.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to explore the region. We have so much to offer with great food and things to do, and I think that some people take that for granted,” said Gaudette.

Gaudette’s book amasses the culinary abundance the region has to offer. Readers discover the most scenic locations for road trips along the coast and mountains of the region. In addition, Gaudettes reviews the many species of fish the Pacific has to offer and the top mongers in the area. She not only shows readers where region-specific foods are, but also discusses the top restaurants that serve them, including 20 recipes from local chefs.

“I thought about all the places I have been in the past. …There are over 250 restaurants featured, and I ate at all of them in recent years. I reached out to fishmongers and places to go foraging and people that had recommendations. It’s really a book by and for the people of this area.”

The text took nine months to write, but it was over 10 years of experience in the making. Gaudette said that writing a book came naturally because of her experience in journalism; she was a long-time food writer for the Seattle Times.

“I’m good at amassing information in a hurry, and I always wanted to learn more, so this was a really amusing project.”

In addition, Gaudette emphasizes the rich history of the region in her book and clues readers in to bits of history for places like Fishermen’s Terminal, Ballard Locks and Pikes Place Market.

“There’s so much history right under our noses like the halibut fleets. We have the oldest fleet in the country, and people should celebrate that and go meet the fishermen that go out on those journeys. It’s an amazing link into the past.”

Gaudette's book can be found online at http://whttp://www.amazon.com/Seafood-Lovers-Pacific-Northwest-Restaura….