Livin' in the Blurbs: Party On!

If you think the Occupy folks have a corner on the public imagination, you ain't heard nothin' yet. For soon the cry of "Hail the Wale" will be echoing through the streets of our fair city. It has come to my attention through the efforts of bartender extraordinaire and corduroy aficionado Jacob Grier that Friday is Corduroy Appreciation Day. Why that particular date, you might ask? Well, the numbers tell the tale…it's 11/11/11, and fans of the fuzzy vertical cloth will tell you that date most closely resembles the wale of corduroy. Whatever. The good news is that they're throwing a party this Friday to celebrate, and you're all invited. Wear one or more items of corduroy and get a discount on the special Two Item Rule cocktail Mr. Grier created specially for the occasion. Now, where did I put that corduroy denim jacket and skirt outfit?

Details: Hail the Wale Corduroy Appreciation Party. Fri., Nov. 11, 5-8 pm; free. Wear one item of corduroy, get $1 off special cocktail, wear two and get $2 off. The Hop and Vine, 1914 N Killingsworth St. 503-954-3322.

* * *

When Luan Schooler and her husband, Tim Wilson, opened Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods a few years ago, I was over the moon. Not just because they were moving into what had been a down-on-its-luck convenience market in the neighborhood, but because they were dedicated to carrying a fantastic selection of cheeses, charcuterie, dry goods and wines from around the world. And when they started offering classes on cheeses, meats and wines with some of the areas best producers, I was completely smitten. On Saturday, Nov. 19, they'll be celebrating their sixth anniversary (Really? Has it been six?) with their biggest blowout yet. Come sip, sample and schmooze with artisan producers like Ben Jacobsen from  Jacobsen Salt, Pat Morford from River's Edge Chevre, Eyrie Vineyards, Memaloose Winery, Tao of Tea, Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales, Portland Pepper Sauce and Fermin Iberico (right). Should be an awesome party!

Details: Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods Sixth Anniversary Open House. Sat., Nov. 19, 2-5 pm. Foster & Dobbs, 2518 NE 15th Ave. at Brazee. 503-284-1157.

* * *

Now that winter's here, you might feel like mourning the end of farmers' market season, particularly after the avalanche of gorgeous late-season produce we had this fall. Well, I'm here to tell you to turn that frown upside down and untangle yourself from that passion net, because there are seven, count 'em, SEVEN Portland area farmers' markets revving up to go right through till spring. So grab that basket and your wellies and get thee to:

• Hollywood Farmers' Market: Open 9 am-1 pm every Saturday until Thanksgiving, then 1st and 3rd Saturdays from Dec.-April. On NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Aves., one block south of Sandy Blvd. in the Grocery Outlet parking lot.
• Hillsdale Farmers' Market: Open 10 am-2 pm Sun. through Thanksgiving, then twice monthly Dec.-April (see website for schedule). At 1405 SW Vermont St. in the Wilson High School-Rieke Elementary School parking lot.
• Lloyd Farmers' Market: Open 10 am-2 pm every Tues. (except for Dec. 27). In Oregon Square on NE Holladay St. between 7th & 9th Aves.
• Montavilla Farmers' Market is holding Winter Stock-Up Markets from 11 am-1 pm on Dec. 11, Jan. 8 and Feb. 12. On the 7600 block of SE Stark St.
• Oregon City Winter Farmers' Market: Open 10 am-2 pm every other Sat. from Nov.-April. At the corner of 8th Ave. and Main St., Oregon City.
• People's Farmers' Market: Open 2-7 pm every Wed. year round. At People's Co-op, 3029 SE 21st Ave. on block N of Powell Blvd.
• Winter Market at Shemanski Park: Open 10 am-2 pm Sat., Jan. 7-Feb. 25. In the South Park Blocks between SW Salmon and Main Sts.

Persimmon Diaries

Sometimes a friend will point out something they think is obvious and it comes as a complete revelation, bordering on an epiphany, to me. I was over at my friend Kim's the other day, sitting on the floor playing with her puppies and she said, "Want some persimmon?"

Now, I really love the way persimmons look. That bright orange globular body with the cool-looking leaves curling out the top are an art director's dream. But try as I might, I hadn't really found a recipe that made me sit up and say, "Wow, this is an amazing fruit!" And I'd tried a few, including a persimmon bread, persimmon chutney, persimmon sauce. It all lacked a certain oomph that I look for.

So when Kim handed me a slice of a Fuyu persimmon she'd bought at Trader Joe's, I wasn't sure what to expect. I bit into it, and it had a softly sweet taste and firm, smooth texture. I had another one, skin and all, and it was a delight. "So this is what persimmons are all about," I thought.

I was still pondering that when I got home and found that Culinate.com had called, wanting me to write a quick column about, you guessed it, persimmons! You can read it here, and get Luan Schooler's terrific recipe for Bresaola with Persimmons.

A Friend Returns to Share

You may recall that just about a year ago in the early days of GoodStuffNW, I had a foodie moment extraordinaire when I met John Cancilla and his lovely wife, Ana, when they dropped in at Foster & Dobbs on their way to the airport just as I was walking by with Rosey. The sweetest people you could ever hope to meet, they're sales reps for the Marqués de Valdueza olive oil estate in Spain and had been here as part of a sales trip to introduce their new Merula brand of estate-bottled extra virgin olive oil.

Since that afternoon John has been my Spanish pen-pal, an avid reader of the blog and a valuable source of feedback for my attempts at making paella. And now you can meet him in person and talk about his favorite subject (aside from, but related to, food and his family) when he and Ana come into town to do a tasting of their olive oils at Foster & Dobbs. They'll explain and share the elixir of the Arbequina, Picual, Hojiblanca and Morisca olives, and pair them with Jamon Serrano, Spanish cheese and dark chocolate. If you ask, he'll even recite the full name of the Marqués himself, no small feat. At the least, you'll come away with new ideas for using olive oil and, just maybe, a new friend.

Details: Tasting of Marqués de Valdueza olive oils at Foster & Dobbs with John Cancilla. Noon-3 pm; free. Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods, 2518 NE 15th Ave. Phone 503-284-1157.

My Foodie Moment

You know how some days you feel like you've wandered onto the set of a TV show and you're the surprise guest? That happened to me the other day when I was taking the lovely Miss Rose for her afternoon stroll and thought I'd stop by and pick up a little cheesy goodness from Luan at Foster and Dobbs. She was talking to a young Spanish couple, so we started chatting and sampling some of the wonderful Oregon cheeses from the case. I suggested the Rogue Creamery Oregonzola, then the Rogue River Reserve which is wrapped in grape leaves and soaked in brandy. Luan then sliced samples of Fra'Mani and Salumi meats and we sat down to chat.

It turns out that they work for Marques de Valdueza, a Spanish estate that produces olive oil, and stopped off on their way to the airport. John, the husband, an American who speaks flawless Spanish, Italian and French, moved to Spain, met his wife, Ana, and started working for the Marquis' estate. So then, you guessed it, they started hauling out their olive oils and inviting us to sample them. The coolest part was when Ana poured a small amount of oil into a little blue cup with the Marques crest on it. Then she covered it with a convex glass and warmed it in her hands for a couple of minutes. She lifted the glass slightly and had us inhale the warm, moist aroma of the oil, a wonderfully green and rich smell. Foster & Dobbs carries their olive oils and John and Ana may be coming back next year to do a class there. Stay tuned!

Details: Foster & Dobbs, 2518 NE 15th Ave.; Phone 503-284-1157; E-mail info@fosteranddobbs.com