Pickled Buds of Joy

You know the post I wrote about the lacinato kale in the garden that I can't seem to pull out? The one that recently started producing, as contributor Jim Dixon would call it, "immature flower buds from various cabbage relatives" that are commonly called (cover your ears, Jim) raab, rabe or rapini.

Not to get off topic, but my son has been expressing an interest in making pickles for some time. So I consulted my favorite pickle meister, Kevin Gibson, who makes some of the best pickles in town at Evoe, as to what book might be the best introduction to the art. He suggested a slim volume titled Tsukemono: Japanese Pickling Recipes by Ikuko Hisamatsu, which contains lots of quick pickle recipes using relatively common ingredients. What's even better is that my son happens to love Asian flavors, so I immediately ran next door to Powell's on Hawthorne and picked it up.

In that book is a recipe for Rape Flowers in Mustard or Nanohana Karashi-zuke that require just 45 minutes from start to finish, the main ingredient of which we could get by stepping out the back door. It did require a trip to our neighborhood Asian grocery but, as promised, within 45 minutes of starting the prep, we were munching on some surprisingly tasty green pickles. Excellent!

Rape Flowers in Mustard (Nanohana Karashi-zuke)

Adapted from Quick & Easy Tsukemono: Japanese Pickling Recipes by Ikuko Hisamatsu

1 lb. rape, raab or rapini
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. hot mustard paste (karashi)
1 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 dried chile pepper

Cut off any tough stems of rape flowers. Tear off leaves. In a pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook leaves and flowers briefly just until the color changes. (We chopped up the stems and threw them in first to cook a little more before we added the leaves and buds, and they worked fine.) Plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Place in bowl, pour 1 Tbsp. soy sauce over the green and combine. Squeeze again to remove moisture. Mix with remaining seasonings and stir well. Remove seeds from chile pepper and mince. (We left the seeds in.) Add to greens mixture and combine. Take a small plate that will fit inside the bowl and place it over the greens. Take a jar filled with water (or a pint glass) and place it on top of the plate, pressing down the greens. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Serve.

Bittman's Bite

As much as I love staying at home, tapping away on my laptop on the kitchen counter, padding around to warm up some coffee in the microwave, tripping over a Corgi or two on the way there, I sometimes find it instructional to get out of the house once in awhile. Not by attending a class, mind you, but by putting myself in an unfamiliar situation to see what happens.

Like going with a friend who's a dog breeder into the backstage "Best in Show" world of professional dog shows. Or spending a couple of days helping sort grapes at a winery. Or, like last night, attending a book reading/talk at Powell's downtown. Of course, the person doing the talking was Mark Bittman, columnist for the New York Times Dining section, author of several cookbooks and at least one book, Food Matters,about our broken food system.

He presented himself exactly the way he comes across in his writing and his videos—laid back, plainspoken yet thoughtful and funny in an off-the-cuff sort of way. His topic these days is that broken food system and, in his opinion, that people have forgotten how to cook. That in the post-war 50s our food system was taken over by industrialized agriculture, which promoted the idea of modern convenience foods, making "old-fashioned" cooking with simple ingredients look like way more work than it should be.

Part of his solution to the epidemic of obesity and diabetes is to start teaching people how to cook again, using simple ingredients readily available, what he termed "a new CCC—Civilian Cooking Corps." And while he said that some of the changes need to be made on a national level, involving dislodging entrenched interests, he feels many changes can be made on a local level in our own communities.

Granted, none of what he said was new or startling. But the fact that a journalist at his level is championing the cause of good food and health is a positive sign, one that made me glad I ventured outside of my comfort zone.

No Shortage of Opinions

Robin Goldstein is the author of "Fearless Critic Portland Restaurant Guide" and someone I haven't run across before, but he's got a few opinions about restaurants here in town.

In a recent post on Powell's Books blog, he slams a few local joints upside the head with the title of "most over-hyped, underwhelming spots in PDX." Among those are:

• Candy (or "Candy Ultra Lounge"): "If you're a connoisseur of laughably insufferable pretense, you'll feel like a kid in a candy store here."
• Jake's: Refers to the food as " chain-industrial."
• El Gaucho: He dubs it "El Gouge-O."
• The Heathman: "They still trumpet a Beard award they won eight years ago."
• Rontoms: "It seems like someone's genitalia is playing a key decisionmaking role in the…HR department."

Runners-up include Vault Martini Bar, Bluehour and Teardrop Lounge.

His list of "trendy restaurants that live up to their hyped-up status"?

• Park Kitchen: "Epitomizes what Portland is all about."
• Beaker & Flask (photo, top): "They really are that cutting-edge."
• Andina: "The lighting will flatter your date (who might drink more of those sugary cocktails since they go down so easily)."
• Beast: "There's not a better restaurant in Portland at the moment."
• Henry's 12th St. Tavern: "Even if the kitchen isn't great, [their] prices show a lot of Portland spirit."

Runners-up include MetroVino, DOC, Saucebox, Le Pigeon, Pok Pok, Clyde Common, Ping, Clarklewis, Sel Gris.

Check the blog post for full comments, and there's no doubt the book has many, many more.

Livin' in the Blurbs: When It's Raining

Till spring is officially here, or at least until we get that week of gorgeous, warm weather in March, here are some suggestions for staying cozy.

Get Gardening

No one wants go out and slog through the mud right now, but on the third Tuesday of every month you can get inspiration from some of the country's top garden writers at Get Gardening! at Powell's Books in Cedar Hills. Their first speaker will be Raymond Evison (left), author of Clematis for Small Spaces and owner of The Guernsey Clematis Nursery Ltd. in the Channel Islands (off the coast of northern France but technically a part of Britain).

Details: Get Gardening! with Raymond Evison. Feb. 19, 7 pm; free. Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton. Phone 503-228-4651.

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Dig This Den

Laurelwood has just opened the Brewer's Den upstairs at their NE Sandy location. Head over from Wednesday through Saturday evenings and quaff a few of their terrific brews. With comfy couches, a big screen TV and its own bar, it could be the new place to hang in Hollywood.

Details: Laurelwood Public House and Brewery, 5115 NE Sandy Blvd. Phone 503-282-0622.

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Save the World on Your Lunch Hour

A series of Sustainability Brown Bags will explore simple steps you can take to decrease your carbon footprint and live a greener life. Developed by the Multnomah County Library and the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, topics will include converting lawn to garden, green remodeling and composting made easy. The complete schedule is available online.

Details: Sustainability Brown Bags in the US Bank room at the Central Library. Wednesdays, noon-1 pm; free (space is limited). Multnomah County Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave. 503-988-5402.