Livin' in the Blurbs: Cheese, Ale, 'Shrooms

When someone describes themselves as "obsessed," I tend to take a step back. But when David Bleckmann went on to tell me that he's obsessed with cheese, I stepped right back up because, well, I'm all up ons with it myself. He's doing a demonstration on making feta at the next meeting of the DIY Cheesemakers (I wrote about the group for FoodDay recently), and is working with Gayle Starbuck, whose Curds on the Way cheesemaking classes are a hot item, to expand the group's membership.

Details: DIY Cheesemakers meeting featuring feta demonstration by David Bleckmann. Wed., Jan. 20, 6:30-8 pm; free (seating is limited, so get there early). Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods, 2518 NE 15th Ave. 503-284-1157.

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Keeping your husband happy is one of the requirements for a longterm relationship, so I was more than pleased to drop off Dave's corny keg to be filled at Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) yesterday. My pal, brewer Matthew “Speck” Speckenbach, creator of the special-release "Specken sie Stout," suggested that Dave might appreciate their new "Secession Black IPA." And when he poured a taste straight from the tank of this dark, roasty but hoppy beer, an example of a new style called a Cascadian Dark Ale, I knew this would make for one happy hubby. Taste it at the pub now, or you can find bottles at New Seasons and Whole Foods markets later this month.

Details: Secession Black IPA at Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB). 2944 SE Powell Blvd. 503-232-4677.

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If you're driving in the neighborhood of NE 30th and Killingsworth some Friday afternoon and see a blue awning, stop your car immediately. Roger Konka and Norma Kraven are setting up their Springwater Farm booth in a vacant lot right across from the restaurant row on NE 30th and plan to have it open through the winter with their awesome selection of wild and cultivated mushrooms. Chef and GSNW contributor Kathryn LaSusa Yeomans will be joining them and dishing out samples of earthy deliciousness like Hungarian mushroom soup and demo-ing such delights as mushroom en papillote to lucky customers.

Details: Friday Mushroom Market from Springwater Farm. Fridays, noon-5 pm. NE 30th between Emerson and Killingsworth (look for the blue awning).