In a Hurry? Pick a Pepper!

The clock is ticking. You're not only on deadline (whether with work or kids or just life), you've committed to taking an appetizer to a dinner party and some other slacker picked the busy person's easy out, the cheese plate.

Rather than hitting the store on the way there and picking up the bachelor's answer to any pot luck, chips and whatever salsa you can grab, the next time you're at the store get a little jar of Spanish piquillo peppers and you'll be set to impress. In all of fifteen minutes you'll have an appetizer that looks fabulous, tastes terrific and may just change your reputation as the chips and salsa guy.

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

1 7.5 oz. jar Spanish piquillo peppers (I like Matiz brand)
6-7 oz. can tuna (if you can find Ortiz brand from Spain that's packed in olive oil, great, but albacore will do)
1/4 c. capers
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise or homemade aioli
1/4 tsp. lemon zest

In small bowl mix tuna, capers, olive oil, mayonnaise and lemon zest, breaking up chunks of tuna. Carefully remove peppers from jar and drain briefly on paper towels. Hold one pepper in your hand and open like a cone. Fill with tuna mixture, arrange on plate and prepare to wow your friends.

Frugal Is As Frugal Does

"Amid economic catastrophe — Oregon has the country’s second-highest unemployment rate — there was a general indifference to wealth. In its place was a dedication to the things that really matter: hearty food and drink, cultural pursuits both high and low, days in the outdoors and evenings out with friends. It’s the good life, and in Portland it still comes cheap."

In early April I got word that Matt Gross, the Frugal Traveler columnist for the New York Times, was in town checking out the scene for an upcoming article. He was soliciting suggestions for local hot spots and venues to visit by way of Twitter, the micro-blogging site.

The results of those recommendations were evident in the Sunday Travel section in the article "Frugal Portland" wherein he waxes eloquent about the charms of our food carts, the sandwiches at Bunk, the beer at Hopworks, the rooms at the Ace and many other stops that, frankly, we take for granted.

He closes the article with: "Good living takes its toll on the body if not on the wallet, and we all need energy to face the next day’s agenda of food, friends and frugality. And every evening, as I drifted off in my soft Ace Hotel bed, under the reassuring weight of that wool blanket, I would try to figure out how to answer a question I heard almost daily, from strangers and from old pals who saw how smoothly I’d settled into my Portland routine. 'So,' they’d ask, 'when are you moving here?' I still don’t know what to tell them."

Photos by Leah Nash for The New York Times.

401? A-OK!

It doesn't have the celebrity that the spotted owl enjoyed as an endangered species (if that's not a contradiction in terms) and hasn't quite been blotted out of existence like the dodo, but the classic café, which used to be a ubiquitous part of every neighborhood in Portland, has seemed to take a back seat to high-end dinner houses and chefs-as-stars in the last few years.

There are exceptions, of course, like Donald Kotler's exceptional Toast in Southeast Portland, but simple breakfast and lunch places that are committed to making everything in-house and celebrating seasonal produce, as well as pouring a cup o' joe that makes mornings worth getting up for, have been in exceedingly short supply.

Which is why I was excited when my pal Kathryn suggested meeting at the recently-opened Cafe 401 for lunch the other day. Located on the corner of NE 28th and Flanders, it formerly housed a leather cleaning business and, when that business moved out, chef Morgan Brownlow and two partners moved in and created this unpretentious and cozy corner cafe.

The bar is decorated with license plates, the stools are covered in red vinyl and the walls are papered with old issues of the Oregonian, but the real attraction is the black board at the end of the bar with the day's specials chalked on it. Kathryn immediately went for the tart du jour, a slice of nettle, green garlic and chevre-covered buttery crust with a side of modest greens and a cup of the tomato soup, both intensely fresh and well-made.

I had to try the burger, my personal test of a cafe's lunch credentials, though I was sorely tempted by the smoked trout hash and the breakfast polenta. The burger was perfectly cooked (medium rare) and served on a light but nicely crusty bun that held up to the juices to the end. I ordered it with bacon and cheddar, though the bacon seemed to lack the requisite punch of smokiness that makes it such a great addition to a classic burger. Some crunchy potato chips were piled alongside, but the sneaker was the pickle, an unusual (and potentially addictive) combination of sweet, salty and crisp.

Though the Oregonian's Karen Brooks reported yesterday that Brownlow has resigned from the venture, unless there are money issues involved I don't see that it will affect the quality, commitment or hour-long wait at peak breakfast hours. I'll definitely be going back!

Details: Cafe 401, 401 N.E. 28th Ave. Phone 503-935-5221

---

Sadly, as of 6/19/09, 401 has closed.

The Garden: Week 3

Like the swine flu or, more properly, the H1N1 virus, predictions of dire outcomes have been laid aside to be replaced by hope. All the seeds planted in the raised beds are coming up like gangbusters, and if the sun that's predicted for the weekend actually materializes, they'll have grown like proverbial weeds by the next report. But then, so will the weeds!

The permit from the city's arborist to take down the tree in the parking strip is in the mail, and the plan is to have it removed next week, plow the ground and plant tomatoes. The arbor vitae hedge will come out at the same time, and I'm just starting to consider what kinds of fig (yes, fig!) to espalier against the fence. My favorite black mission figs? Brown turkey? Let me know what you recommend!

In Season NW: Hollywood and King Market Reports

Hollywood Farmers' Market
Location: NE Hancock between 44th and 45th Aves.
Hours: Saturdays, 8 am-1 pm
(Dog-free hours 8-10 am; dogs allowed 10 am-1 pm)

The stars must have been aligned and the gods of spring distracted reading their Saturday New York Times, since even the rain held off for most of the Hollywood Farmers' Market season opener.

Xavier's eye-popping display of bright orange carrots and brilliant red beets piled four feet high in front of the Sweet Leaf Farm stand stopped shoppers in their tracks and made for long lines at the checkout counter. But everyone was so happy the market was finally open and so busy visiting with neighbors they hadn't seen during the dark days of winter that the wait became a pleasure.

And Tyson, the young bearded fellow with bright pink cheeks at Winter Green Farm, happily discussed everything from favorite recipes to Bernese Mountain Dogs as customers piled his White Russian kale, purple potatoes and spring onions into their wagons (supplied by the market for customers' purchases).

Looking almost but not quite too good to eat, the cupcakes (left, above) that Jessie Smith had packed into the bright pink display case was a smash hit with the younger set, and more than a few parents and grandparents seemed to be adding on to their kids' orders. It was Jessie's first market day ever for her brand new business, called Confectionery, but she said she'd be setting up her table at several markets this season, including Lake Oswego, Milwaukie and Montavilla.

* * *

King Farmers' Market
Location: NE 7th & Wygant between NE Alberta and Prescott Sts.
Hours: Sundays, 10 am-2 pm

If shoppers at Saturday's markets felt blessed not to be drenched while shopping, the neighbors who flocked to the Sunday debut of the King Farmers' Market in NE Portland must have thought they'd stumbled on holy ground with the sun shining in a cloudless blue sky and temperatures nearing 60.

There were so many people, in fact, that many vendors were running out of product after just a couple of hours, and were torn between elation at the market's success and stupefication at the unexpected crowds. Several NE neighborhood businesses were represented in the mix, including Random Order Coffeehouse, along with Portland Farmers' Market regulars like Lisa Jacobs of Jacobs Creamery and the ever-effervescent Connie Rawlings-Dritsas (left) offering samples of her sugarless fruit-based Blossom Vinegars.

Food vendors cut a wide swath as well, with buckwheat crepes from C'est Si Bon, the fluffy-as-a-cloud tamales from Micro Mercantes and, perfect for a sunny day, fresh fruit popsicles from Sol Pops (who get my award for having the cutest stand).

As for the question of whether Portland has too many farmers' markets, you only had to look around you to know that there's plenty of room for more. And if its first day was any indication, this new market looks like it's going to be a jewel in the PFM crown.

Seen and Herd

It's not exactly like finding a woodchuck chucking wood, but by golly those Corgis do have an affinity for herding, as I found out when I went with my friend Kim to Brigand's Hideout near Battle Ground, Washington, and watched Dave Viklund work with her and her dogs.

I'd always heard that these dogs were bred to herd sheep and cattle, and in only five or six lessons, Rocky (a black and white Cardigan Welsh Corgi) and Sterling (a blue merle Cardigan) have learned to "balance," that is move back and forth around the sheep; they'll eventually learn to respond to commands from a distance. For two dogs who aren't yet a year-and-a-half old, they're amazingly focused, though Rocky seems to have more of an affinity for the task.

The video starts with a woman who has worked with her dog (obviously not a Corgi) for a much longer time and uses the larger pasture, while the young "trainees" are in a smaller corral.

In Season NW: Market Openings

Iridescently green fava beans. Curly tendrils of snow peas. Garlic shoots sauteed, grilled or chopped. Is there anything better than spring in Oregon?

All of the beauties above and more are available at one of the almost 40 (and counting) farmers' markets in the metro area, so get to one of these opening this week!

May 7:

• Eastbank Farmers' Market. 3:30-7:30 pm. SE 20th Ave. between Hawthorne and Belmont.
• Fairview Farmers' Market. 4-8 pm. Fairview City Hall, 1300 Village St.

May 9:

• Beaverton Farmers' Market. 8 am-1 pm. SW Hall Blvd. between 3rd and 5th Sts.
• Canby Saturday Markets. 9 am-1 pm. 1st Ave. at Holly St.
• Cedar Mill Sunset Farmers' Market. 8 am-1 pm. NW Cornell Rd. across from Sunset High School.
• Gresham Farmers' Market. 8:30 am-2 pm. NW 3rd and Miller Sts.

May 10:

• Hillsboro Farmers' Market at Orenco Station. 10 am-2 pm. NE 61st and Cornell Rd.
• Milwaukie Farmers' Market. 9:30 am-2 pm. SE Main across from City Hall.

The Highest Compliment

"I wish I'd thought of that" is, in my humble opinion, the highest compliment one can pay to an idea, whether it's a new ad, a new internet service or a garden accessory.

And that's exactly the thought that ran through my mind when I heard about Recession Proof Mixology (RPM), a weekly series promoting the alcoholic inventions of Portland distiller House Spirits. This very simple idea is for Aviation Gin principals (that's Matt Mount, executive distiller, wielding the shaker in the photo at top) to hit various happy hour hot-spots, make cheap and delicious drinks for patrons using their product and then slip away into the night to reappear at another venue the next week.

Not only are they getting their product into potential customers' gullets, they're introducing local bartenders to said products and drawing new crowds to bartenders' stools. Oh, and those new patrons? They're not only dumping their silver into desperate bar-owners' cash registers on a slow night, they're spreading the word about the events to their friends. Freaking brilliant.

I met a friend at the RPM night at Vindalho the other evening, and with her able assistance and the most excellent ministrations of bartendress Shannon, we sampled and sipped our way through the offerings along with several plates of happy hour noshes. Like I said, freaking brilliant.

And thanks to Shannon's light (and sticky) fingers, I came away with a couple of recipes she snuck from behind the bar so you can have your own event. Enjoy!

Pegu Club Cocktail

2 oz. Aviation Gin
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
5/8 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Lime wedge

Fill shaker 2/3 full of ice, add all ingredients except for lime wedge. Shake. Serve up with lime wedge.

Singapore Sling

1 1/2 oz. Aviation Gin
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz. soda
1/2 oz. Benedictine
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
Lemon wedge
Maraschino cherry

Fill shaker 2/3 full of ice. Add gin, lemon juice, pineapple juice, simple syrup, bitters and soda. Shake, serve up with float of Benedictine and Cherry Heering. Top with lemon wedge, maraschino cherry and pineapple leaf on a pick.

Botticelli

1 1/2 oz. Medoyeff Vodka
3/4 oz. Aperol
1/4 oz. clover honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water, dissolved)
1 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 oz. Prosecco

Fill shaker 2/3 full of ice. Add vodka, Aperol, honey syrup and grapefruit juice. Shake, pour into champagne flute and add Prosecco.

Dairy Report: Rocking Out and Rolling Over

Enthusiastic doesn't begin to describe Lisa Jacobs of Jacobs Creamery. Originally from Ireland, she moved to the States with her family in the 80s and just a year ago decided she wanted to make cheese for a living. With the help of Garry Hansen of Lady-Lane Farm, she's done just that, and now has booths at the PSU, Hollywood, Milwaukie, Hillsdale, King, Eastbank and Lake Oswego farmers' markets. And she just sent out her first newsletter this week. Here's an excerpt.

Holy smokes, what a week! The cheese room was a-rockin' this week. I processed 1,272 pounds of milk and, yes, show tunes and Willie Nelson were played and American Pie was belted out at full blast. Garry couldn't help himself and belted out a few tunes himself. I think the baby cows, which are closest to my cheese room, liked my singing because they started some of their own. They are awfully cute and work with what they have, which I respect, and there are a lot of moo moo mooooos.

One of the really super things about working with Garry is that he has cool dairy friends with very cool Jersey cows. Everyone loves Garry and always likes to help him, so when we were in need of some special equipment, he called up his dairy buds for a favor. I was given the task of picking up our borrowed gear and, boy, was I happy I did. I needed a cheese rake and Garry needed a snap thingy or other and so off I went to Coelho Dairy. They have 300 Jersey cows and I got the grand belle tour! Three hours later we were finishing up and he asked me if I wanted to see his truck. Are you kidding? Hell, yeah, I wanted to see it!

It was some truck. It has a Thermo King unit on it and is the box style van that I see the serious vendors at the market driving. Now, my van isn't small but it does seem inadequate compared to others. I must have some American spirit in me because I am starting to think with nine markets a week lined up, that bigger and colder might be better. That's very American because Americans all love things big and ice, ice, ice equals cold, cold, cold.

I am taking it to the doc to get inspected, so stay tuned. Stay away, too, because, as some of you have experienced, I roll over things from time to time. (Sorry about your measuring tape, Jaret.) If it happens that I get the truck, the Gorge-ites (people that live in the Gorge) that get me to deliver won't be the only ones on my route. We hope to offer a home delivery service in the fall and will be delivering fresh milk and yummy dairy goodies to your door. What a service!

I conclude this week with a super fab recipe for using my ricotta in your kitchen.

Ricotta Fritters (Polpette di Ricotta)
From Saveur magazine

Chilling the ricotta–prosciutto mixture after mixing it allows the flavors to come together and makes the balls easier to form.

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 basil leaves, torn in half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. homemade or store-bought ricotta
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated pecorino
1/3 c. grated mozzarella
1 tsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 egg yolks plus 2 eggs
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
Canola oil, for frying

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes; toast for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and basil, bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; keep warm.

Stir together ricotta, fresh bread crumbs, pecorino, mozzarella, parsley, lemon zest, nutmeg, egg yolks and prosciutto in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper; cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put flour, whole eggs and dried bread crumbs into 3 separate shallow dishes; whisk eggs. Using your hands, form chilled ricotta mixture into 1 1/2" balls. Working with 1 ball at a time, dredge in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs, shaking off any excess. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray.

Pour enough canola oil into a 4-quart saucepan that it reaches a depth of 2". Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 350°. Working in batches, fry the ricotta balls, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the balls to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with the tomato sauce.

Makes 20 fritters.

Biographical info thanks to Tami Parr at Pacific NW Cheese Project. E-mail Lisa to subscribe to her newsletter.

A Bite of Family History

My mother was not a great cook, but did a decent job of feeding her family of five staples like Spanish rice, tuna casserole and goulash. Her own mother was a terrible cook, and growing up in North Powder, Oregon, a teeny Eastern Oregon town of 400, hadn't provided much in the way of adventurous dining. She did occasionally venture into unknown territory, which brought exotic foods like tacos, made with store-bought packets of Taco Mix and greasy fried tortillas, to our dinner table.

There were recipes of hers I made sure to copy down before I left home. Her pineapple carrot cake, favorite holiday cookie recipes and, probably her pièce de resistance, a fabulous all-American summer favorite, potato salad.

The other day I needed to contribute a side dish for my brother's birthday dinner, and had mentioned bringing a rocking quinoa salad that Susana had made, or maybe Luan's terrific farro salad with pecorino and cherry tomatoes. But when I brought up Mom's potato salad, his eyes lit up and the deal was sealed.

Now, everyone has their own definitive version of potato salad, with accompanying debates about the merits of mayo versus salad dressing, celery or not. My mother's called for russets (no Yukon golds for her, mister), pickle juice as the dressing's secret ingredient and it had a slightly pink tinge from what we refer to as God's own condiment, ketchup.

And there's nothing that reminds me of her more than when I dig into a pile of this.

Mom's Potato Salad

Dressing:
2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tsp. worchestershire
2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/3 c. pickle juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Salad:
8 med. russet potatoes
1 yellow onion
10 eggs
6 med. pickles

Put unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with water. Place on stove and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain and cool (can be made ahead).

While potatoes cook, make dressing. Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Slice cooled potatoes into 1" square and 1/8" wide pieces (or bite-sized). Chop onion and pickles fine. Chop eggs. Put in a large bowl, pour dressing over top and fold it in (don't stir or the potatoes will break up too much) until thoroughly combined. Place bowl in refrigerator and let sit for a couple of hours so flavors have a change to mingle.

Serves 10-12. This recipe makes a huge batch, so you may want to halve it.

Some Funny for Your Weekend

William Wegman, Weimaraner-photographer extraordinaire, did several video segments for Sesame Street in the 90s. This is a classic starring the extraordinary Fay Ray's offspring, Chundo and Crooky, and her grandson, Chip. For more, click here.

More Rants on Ramps

Because this blog is all about news you can really use, versus the stuff that passes for information on the front page of, say, the New York Times or the twaddle that takes up airtime on NPR, for those who need to know more about the burning issues of our time I've got a couple of hot scoops to pass on. Or at least a couple of blog posts that piqued my interest this morning.

A couple of Mark Bittman's pals have contributed posts about ramps, one by Daniel Meyer titled "Ramping Up for Spring" that has several delicious-sounding ideas for using this wild member of the leek family, and a lovely essay touting the same vegetable's spring debut by veteran Edward Schneider, "An Old Hand's View of Ramps." For those who can't get enough, there's also a post from Ed from last year.

And a question for those in the know: I've heard rumors of ramps being found right here in the Northwest, though our area doesn't appear on any maps I've seen of the plant's habitat. Does anyone know if this is true? Curious (and hungry) readers want to know!

Photo at top by Daniel Meyer; photo on left by Edward Schneider, both for Bitten.

Slicing Meat So You Pay More

Cutting, slicing and slashing are words commonly used to describe decreasing the price of a product. But the beef industry of late has been intent on cutting and slicing to increase the prices you pay at the meat counter.

As reported in the New York Times article "Same Cow, No Matter How You Slice It," writer Kim Severson describes a recent effort on the part of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to "dig around in the carcass and find muscles that, when separated and sliced in a certain way, were tender and tasty enough to be sold as a steak or a roast."

The study, costing $1.5 million and taking five years to complete, basically took traditionally cheap cuts of meat and, by cutting them differently and renaming them, justified an increase in their price. Tom Mylan, a Brooklyn butcher, said, "The difference in a good name is worth $3 or $4 a pound."

One example is the newly named "Denver steak" that, instead of being ground into hamburger and sold for $2.99 a pound, can be cooked like a steak and sold for $5.99 a pound. Traditional butchers are pooh-poohing this marketing ploy, saying European and American butchers have known about these cuts forever. One butcher said, "This is just a glorified chuck steak that they cleaned the junk off of."

A "meat scientist" in Nebraska ("Hi Mom! Hi Dad! Guess what I've decided to be? A meat scientist!"), one Chris Calkins, is quoted as saying, no doubt in his most chipper voice, "If we can dig out a muscle and use it in a new way that hasn't been done before, it seems to me we are obligated to give that muscle an identity so someone can understand what it is."

In Season NW: Grab Your Baskets

It's time to shake out your string bags and dust off the baskets, because the market season is getting started in earnest this month. It'll be a big weekend in Northeast Portland with the Hollywood Farmers' Market kicking off its 13th season this Saturday, and then on Sunday it's the debut of the King Farmers' Market, the brand-new baby in the Portland Farmers' Market clan that's kicking off with 45 vendors its first day. Also on Sunday the Hillsdale Farmers' Market reappears in its weekly incarnation and is, in my humble opinion, the best market in the city.

• Hollywood Farmers' Market, Saturdays, 8 am-1 pm; NE Hancock between 44th and 45th.
• King Farmers' Market, Sundays, 10 am-2 pm; NE 7th and Wygant between NE Alberta and Prescott St.
• Hillsdale Farmers' Market, 10 am-2 pm; At the intersection of SW Sunset Blvd. and SW Capitol Hwy.

The Garden: Week 2

Like finding a penny on the sidewalk (and, by the way, I don't buy the face-up is good, face-down is bad addendum), it looks like my garden luck has turned. Not that last spring's cold and damp was my fault, by any stretch, but there are signs that this year may be very, very good for our dinner table.

Going down the planting list, the carrots haven't poked up yet, but the radishes, arugula and mesclun are all popping up, and it looks like the volunteer chard from last year has survived after a bit of an early scare. No snap peas yet, but the rhubarb is unfurling several new leaves.

And those other grand plans? Well, you'll be pleased that I've got two bids from landscapers to remove the parking strip tree that's heaving up the sidewalk and shading my beds, not to mention taking up valuable south-facing soon-to-be tomato beds. Now I'm waiting for the city to approve a permit and it (and the arbor vitae hedge) will be history!

Numbah Three!

Just got another quote in "Comments of the Moment" on Mark Bittman's blog, Bitten, for a comment I made on his post about that little chunk of meat along the backbone of the chicken. Some here call it the "oyster" of the chicken since it's about that size, and consider it a delicacy. Why, I'm not sure, since it pretty much tastes like the rest of the chicken as far as I can tell. But wouldn't you know, the French have a name for it, "sot-l'y-laisse," that loosely translates as “the part that only a fool leaves behind.”

Friends Getting Their Props

My friends Bruce and Mary Fishback at Bread & Ink Cafe (mentioned here recently for their ramps specials) just got a love note from Gourmet magazine for Mary's brilliant Waffle Window, which has become a must-stop destination for waffle lovers far and wide. (Mentioned on GSNW right after it opened about...oh...two years ago.) Writer Giovanna Zivny effuses:

"Okay, I’ll say it: This place is adorable. It’s really a waffle Dutch door—a bright blue one in the red brick wall of longtime Portland restaurant Bread and Ink, which opened the waffle shop in 2007. The Liège-style waffles come plain or with creative topping combinations, and the Three Bs (pepper bacon, Brie, and basil, with a spoonful of homemade peach jam; $4) is a crowd favorite. I’m more partial to the scoop of quivering lemon panna cotta with a thick drizzle of huckleberry jam and whipped cream ($4). They’ve set aside a small seating area inside the restaurant for rainy-day waffle eaters."

All I can say to Gourmet is, "What took you so long?"

Details: Waffle Window, 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Phone 503-239-4756.

Secret Sauce

It's like finding out your best friend has a secret identity. Or two. Not only are they smart, funny, thoughtful and stylish, they're also a super hero. And an accomplished concert musician. And maybe even an astronaut in their spare time.

I saw a recipe for a romesco sauce on my brother's blog, did the usual scan of its ingredients to see if it was Dave-safe and put it on the docket for dinner. As I was making it, however, the thought occurred to me that it was not only lactose-free, it was also vegetarian and even qualified as vegan, assuming the bread used for the crumbs has no animal-related ingredients. And, if the bread isn't made from wheat flour, it could even be gluten free. See what I mean about the secret identity?

Oh, and by the way, it's also freaking delicious. It makes a nice sauce for pasta, but I think it would really sing when paired with polenta. It could be a wonderful dip for vegetables and a nice sauce for grilled meat. I dunno, but that super hero reference might be all too apt!

Toasted Hazelnut Romesco
From The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

1 medium sized dried ñora pepper or ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, and torn into small pieces
2/3 c. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (see below)
2 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 Tbsp. toasted bread crumbs
1 small, ripe plum tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp. sweet (not smoked) paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne, or more to taste*
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. best quality red wine vinegar
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

Place dried pepper pieces in a small bowl, add 1/2 cup very hot water, and soak until softened, 20-30 minutes. Drain, setting aside the soaking liquid.

Place the hazelnuts in the food processor and pulse until they are ground medium-fine. Add the pepper pieces, 1/3 cup of soaking liquid and the garlic, bread crumbs, tomato, paprika and cayenne and process until fairly smooth but still with some texture from the nuts. With the motor running drizzle in the olive oil until it is completely incorporated.

Scrape the sauce into a bowl. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste the sauce before serving, adding more vinegar and cayenne if desired. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

* Optional depending on the heat of the chile used. Be conservative.

Toasted Hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts on rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until skins start to darken and blister. Remove from oven and wrap in dish towel and let cool for 5 minutes. While nuts are still in the towel, rub vigorously to remove as much skin as possible. There will still be a fair amount of skin attached to nuts, but it doesn't matter in the finished dish.

Viet Yum

There is a debate among foodistas over the authenticity of Portland's pho, the long-simmered, delicate yet intensely flavored soup of Vietnam. Usually served with vermicelli, rice or egg noodles in a large bowl, it can contain any combination of meat parts (flank, brisket, chicken, tripe, pork blood, you name it) and comes with a platter of seasonings meant to be incorporated in the soup.

Salad rolls (Goi Cuon).

But the key to great pho is the broth, and many a Vietnamese cook has staked his or her reputation on the quality and nuance of their particular version. Not being an aficionado of the preparation, all I know is that nothing tastes better when you've got a cold or just need warming up or, indeed, if you simply want an inexpensive solution for lunch or dinner. The combination of cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander pods, fennel seeds, star anise and cardamom wafts up from the bowl, and suddenly the universe feels like a calmer, more sensible place.

Noodles with vegetables and meat skewers (Bun Tom Thit Nurong).

Our favorite used to be a place on Fremont, but, as often happens, when it changed hands the quality wasn't the same. Fortunately we were introduced to Pho Oregon on NE 82nd and it has become our default when we need a pho fix. I've also grown fond of some of their non-pho offerings, particularly the Bun Tom Thit Nurong or vermicelli noodles with char-grilled skewers of shrimp, pork and vegetable, a hearty combination of vegetables and meats that, when the little bowl of dressing is poured over it, becomes like a warm Asian pasta salad.

Curried Coconut Noodle Soup with Chicken (Bun Ga Ca Ri).

Something I'm going to order soon is the bowl of curried coconut milk soup with chicken called Bun Ga Ca Ri. I had a taste of it recently and the slightly sweet, milky broth that infused the vegetables and meat was heavenly. And if you can get your table-mates to share some of the saw-leaf herb called ngo gai that comes with their pho, you'll feel like singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

Details: Pho Oregon, 2518 NE 82nd Ave. Phone 503-262-8816.

GSNW Contest: Win a Taste!

Taste of the Nation is coming this Monday, April 27, and GoodStuffNW readers have a chance to win a pair of free tickets to the event.

If you don't know about it, it's a yearly event sponsored by Share Our Strength that benefits hunger relief agencies right here in Oregon. The fun part is that you'll get to attend this gala evening that gathers 50 of Portland’s best restaurants, wineries, breweries and mixologists for a night of sampling and browsing the aisles.

Some of the participants will be Paley's Place, The Country Cat, Firehouse, Andina, Baker & Spice, East India Company, DOC and FlavourSpot. Guests will enjoy the city’s finest foods paired with wines provided by Carabella Winery, Elk Cove Vineyard, Foris Winery and Argyle Winery, as well as offerings from SakeOne, Full Sail Brewing Co, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Aviation Gin, Finlandia Vodka and coffee from Caffe Umbria.

All you have to do is e-mail me before noon on Sunday, April 26. I'll put all the names into a hat, draw the winner at 12:01 and let you know by e-mail how to pick up your tickets. Good luck!

Details: Taste of the Nation at LUXE Autohaus, 410 NE 17th Ave. 6:30pm. General admission tickets, should you wish to purchase them, are $75; call 1-877-26TASTE or purchase tickets online.

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We have a winner!

kaz is the lucky winner of the Taste of the Nation tickets and will be attending this wonderful event courtesy of GoodStuffNW. Congratulations, kaz! Let us know what you thought!

Beans and Pasta

I guess it's because I'm lacking that particular floaty toy in my Irish-Scottish-Alsatian-Austrian-Native American gene pool, but I've never really been attracted to the Italian penchant for combining pasta with beans. But this very tempting-sounding recipe from contributor Jim Dixon of Real Good Food has piqued my curiousity to do some culinary exploring.

The red beans in this recipe are grown by Haricot Farms in Quincy, Washington (near Yakima), and are certified sustainable by the Food Alliance. They’re fresher than the average supermarket bean and have great flavor.

I cook them using my no-soak, slow-cook approach. And ever since seeing a quote from a grizzled Tuscan (they are known as mangiafagiole or bean eaters, after all) to the effect that “beans cooked in a metal pot aren’t worth eating,” I’ve used a garage sale ceramic bean pot. I fill it about a third full, add a good pinch of sea salt, a healthy glug of extra virgin olive oil, and fill it most of the way up with water. A few hours in a 250° oven and they’re usually tender, though sometimes I need to add a little more water.

Add the cooked beans to soup, use them for composed salads, or eat them plain, drizzled with more extra virgin olive oil. Try a bowl topped with a poached or fried egg for breakfast.

Garbanzos need soaking, or least they seem to hold together better during cooking if they’re rehydrated. I soak overnight, then simmer in salted water until tender (on top of the stove, in a metal pot....go figure). Don’t discard the stock; it’s delicious and can be used in soup or added to pasta-garbanzo dishes like this:

Rapini, ceci, e pasta

Cook a bunch of rapini (aka broccoli raab) in plenty of well-salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain, let cool a little and chop coarsely.

Chop a few garlic cloves and cook briefly in extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped rapini, about a cup and half of cooked garbanzos (ceci in Italian), and a half cup or so of the garbanzo cooking liquid.

Have a pot of water boiling so you can drop in a pound of good pasta at about the same time. An extruded shape, rather than a long noodle, works better for this, and I like to use 100% semolina Italian pasta.

Cook the rapini and ceci for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is done. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to the pan with the rapini, add a quarter cup or so of pasta water, and cook together for a few minutes. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

In Season: Ramp It Up!

They're in season but, sadly, not around here. The habitat for Allium tricoccum, commonly known as ramps, is pretty much relegated to the eastern half of the US (see map below). But fortunately for us, several restaurants in the area will be including them on the menu in the next month or so.

Our friends Bruce and Mary Fishback at Bread & Ink Cafe love this odd member of the onion family and bring in some every year to feature as specials. We joined them for dinner the other night and got to try several dishes, starting with the sautéed ramps salad with ricotta cakes and orange (top photo). The cooked ramps were tender and tasted much like sauteed green onions, and I asked Bruce why ramps have the reputation of being strong-flavored and stinky when these clearly were not.

His conjecture was that ramps can become more strongly flavored as they mature and these, being about as slender as cooked spaghetti, were extremely young and tender. This was proven by the several strands of raw ramps on the side which were lovely when sliced and eaten with the ricotta cakes, orange and chevre.

The ramps with asparagus and prosciutto on polenta (right) was the essence of spring, the ramps lending a lightly garlic-and-onion backdrop to the crisp green spears of asparagus. The other entree, ramps with spaghetti, wasn't listed on the menu but was basically pangrattato tossed with sauteed ramps, a simple and delicious way to enjoy these unusual harbingers of spring.

Ramps are also being featured on the café's breakfast menu, but you'll need to get in soon or, like spring itself, they'll be gone before you know it.

Details: Bread & Ink Cafe, 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Phone 503-239-4756.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Sometimes there's a pony or a shiny bike under the Christmas tree, and sometimes you get socks instead. Expectations are like that and, as hard as I try to cultivate that "que sera sera" attitude, the fact that last year our tomato plants looked like survivors of a nuclear blast (and produced about as well) was, frankly, a big disappointment.

And knowing that even the pros, and I mean some large-scale farmers, here in the valley had an equally crappy season didn't make me feel any better. I mean, I wanted my heirloom tomato salad to be made from my heirloom tomatoes. Is that too much to ask? (The answer, apparently, was "Yes.")

But because home gardeners are an optimistic, some would say delusional, lot, this year, dang it, is going to be different. This last weekend we hopped in the truck and drove to our neighborhood garden center, picked up some seeds and soil amendments and got to work. Within a couple of hours Dave's most excellent raised beds (in their third year and sturdy as ever, thank you) were weeded, amended and planted with what, I hope, will be a productive and delicious crop of:

• Carrots (Parmex) - an orange variety from Nichols Garden Nursery; 1 row
• Carrots (Atomic Red) - red, Nichols Garden Nursery; 1 row
• Carrots (Purple Haze) - purple (is that cool or what?), Nichols Garden Nursery; 1 row
• Radishes (Crimson Ladyfinger) - New Dimension Seed; 2 rows
• Mesclun Salad Mix - Seeds of Change; 3 rows
• Arugula (Apollo) - Seed Savers Exchange; 2 rows
• Snap peas (Sweet Xing) - New Dimension Seed; 2 rows
• Chard - three volunteers from last year
• Rhubarb - a cutting from my pal Lindsey

The rest of the story is that the hedge of arbor vitae (on right in photo at left) that has screened our back yard "dining room" is going to be torn out with plans to replace it with an espaliered black mission fig. And the ash tree in the parking strip that is buckling the sidewalk and, worst of all, shading the boxes for a few hours a day, is going to come out this year.

I'm hoping to do (mercifully short) weekly reports on the progress of all these grand schemes, and I'd love to know what you're up to in your gardens this year in your part of the world. So let's start talking!

Summer in the City

Summer around here means sitting under the tree in our back yard, sipping a cocktail and watching the sun as it dips behind the neighbors' houses. If we're lucky there's some cheese left over from a weekend dinner with friends that most definitely needs to be eaten, or some chips with a bit of salsa that was lingering in the back of the fridge.

And there's no better place to get ideas for those cocktails than "borrowing" (such a kinder, gentler word than "stealing") them from the happy hour menus at our local watering holes. I was invited to a press preview of what will be cooling down patrons of the bar at the Pearl's 50 Plates, and the summer looks to be well-chilled if the items we sampled are any indication.

The grapefruit cooler (top left) that was served up by Lance Mayhew, head mixologist, was a refreshingly bitter combination of vodka, grapefruit juice, tonic and Aperol, a rhubarb-based Italian aperitif that I'll be adding to our liquor cabinet very soon. Next up was a spiced lemon drop (top center), a well-balanced version of this popular happy hour workhorse, the "spice" coming from the Chinese five-spice powder that Mayhew had mixed with the extra-fine sugar coating the rim.

The most interesting of the bunch was a blueberry cooler (top right) made with Jim Beam, blueberry juice and an unusual brown sugar simple syrup, with a complex mix of balancing agents like cinnamon, vanilla, cognac and lemon juice. This one might be a little too complicated to work on at home, but if you feel motivated definitely let me know. Or invite me over!

The rest of the tasting focused on a series of "floats" the restaurant's been working on. The one I tasted featured coffee, kahlua and coffee ice cream, and Mayhew promised there were others in the works as well. He also said they've doubled their food offerings at happy hour, with ribs, a variety of sliders (called "sammies") and crostini added to the existing menu.

To keep traffic in the restaurant moving, they'll also be doubling their hours, adding a late happy hour from 9 till midnight weekdays and 10 till closing on weekends.

Details: 50 Plates, 333 NW 13th Ave. 503-228-5050.

Curry in a Hurry

I'd been working on a story for FoodDay all day and hadn't looked up from my keyboard for several hours.

I saw what time it was and realized that Dave would be home from work in just a few minutes. I had no idea what we were having for dinner, but remembered seeing a recipe on my brother's blog that he said took as long to make as it took to cook the rice that went with it. Perfect!

(And it got rave reviews from my none-the-wiser family who thought I'd slaved over it for hours. Ha!)

Thai Green Curry Shrimp
Adapted from Epicurious

1 Tbsp. peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 c. thinly sliced onion
1 c. chopped green onions
1-2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste (start with the lesser amount and add more to taste)
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (I used Trader Joe's light version)
1 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce (I use a Thai brand called Phu Quoc that is amazing)
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. diced tomatoes
2 lbs. uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
Salt, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Heat peanut oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion; stir-fry until soft and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add green onions and curry paste; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to boil. Add tomatoes and boil 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook just until opaque in center, stirring often, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on size of shrimp. Add salt to taste. Transfer curry to large shallow bowl. Garnish with cilantro. Serve, passing lime wedges separately.