Small Café, Fond Memories

When our son was four years old we took a trip to France, and since we've never been interested in the four-star, play-it-safe experience, we've always opted for a more ground-level view. That meant staying in small, family-run hotels and eating in local restaurants, most of which weren't geared for English speakers. Contrary to stereotypes of the French, the innkeepers were invariably helpful and friendly, even reverting to the English they learned in school, much better than my college French, to give us pointers on what to see and where to eat. It didn't hurt that our son loved escargot and duck more than pizza or hamburgers, which seemed to amaze our hosts, and we were able to bask in the reflected approval.

Our days would always start in the small breakfast room of the hotel, the innkeeper bringing two long-handled metal pots, one filled with strong coffee and the other with hot milk. A simultaneous stream from each would be poured into our cups, and a basket of pastries or a baguette from the village bakery would appear, often accompanied by homemade jam.

The reason I bring this up is that we went by Florio Bakery on a recent morning when Carrie Birrer (left) was just setting out the day's pastries, the smell of cinnamon and sugar mixing with the heady richness of just-brewed Trailhead Roasting espresso. You may remember her from the coffee shop of the same name on SE 28th and Ankeny, and this one, located in a little bungalow just off MLK, has many of the same wonderful French-style pastries, along with her famous (and much missed) scones (lower right).

Light spills into the south-facing room containing the pastry counter and espresso machine, and there is an adjoining room with tables where you can sit back and watch the neighbors passing by on their daily errands. It already looks like a popular spot for moms and their kids, with a basket of books and toys to keep them busy while their mothers sit and relax.

In a departure from the typical coffee shop model, the scones are also available at several local stores in the freezer section under the Florio label. At the café she's also offering ready-to-bake frozen scones and croissant dough filled with fruit or savory fillings to customers who may want to have her freshly baked pastries without having to change out of their jammies. I'm thinking this is going to be the ideal solution for breakfast for overnight guests or to have on hand when a friend stops by for coffee.

Birrer is also marketing her pastries this season at the St. Johns Farmers' Market on Saturdays, and she's talking about expanding her café menu to include lunch offerings in the near future. As for me, I'm going to be heading there as a tasty destination for a dog walk, and to pretend for a few minutes that I'm back at that small hotel in France.

Details: Florio Bakery, 431 NE Rosa Parks Way. Phone 503-928-9444.

Cherry Bomb

You just never know, when you open it, which door will dump a bucket o' learnin' on your head.

Peeling garlic was an exercise in frustration till Julia Child taught me that crushing the cloves under the flat blade of a kitchen knife was so much easier (and satisfying). And I used to think that I had to lay out raspberries on cookie sheets to freeze them, a hideously tedious task, until Anthony Boutard told me that all I had to do was to put the hallocks from the flat directly into the freezer, then the next day take them out, give them a squeeze into a zip-lock bag and throw them back into the freezer.

So when I was talking with Nate Albrecht, the young fellow manning the Baird Family Orchards booth on opening day at the St. Johns Farmers' Market, and he said he couldn't wait to get home to make cherry whiskey, I saw that bucket coming and got out my notebook. He said that he likes bings because of the color they lend to the brew and that, while ripe cherries will work just fine, it's also a great use for those left over that you hate to waste.

Maresh Family Farm's Cherry Whiskey

Take a one-gallon glass jar with a lid and fill it 3/4 full of stemmed (but not seeded) whole cherries. Pour in 2 cups of sugar, then fill with whiskey. Cover with lid and shake to partially dissolve the sugar, then set in a cool, dark place. Shake every day or so, and after 2 to 3 months you'll have fabulous cherry whiskey.

In Season NW: Market Roundup

No matter which market you go to in the next couple of weeks, it's going to be all fruit, all the time, with raspberries, blueberries, blackcaps, loganberries and cherries flooding into the markets. I've already started stashing bags in the freezer for crisps and pies to carry us through the winter, and I've made a couple of batches of shortcakes to keep in the fridge for impromptu desserts. And word is that Baird Family Orchards will have Maryhill peaches starting next week. I love summer!

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Multnomah Village Farmers' Market: There was a bit of sad news with the closing of this wonderful neighborhood market last Thursday. According to market manager Eamon Molloy, the market had struggled to find vegetable farmers and the attendance never really materialized. "The sales didn't justify keeping it open," he said, and the decision was made to close down for the time being.

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Irvington Farmers' Market: Rumors of a farmers' market opening later this season in the Irvington neighborhood will remain just that for the time being. The sponsor of the location that was being considered decided there wasn't enough time to get it started this year. Maybe next year?

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St. Johns Farmers' Market: Last weekend saw the kind of terrific neighborhood support that a well-organized farmers' market can summon with the opening of the St. Johns Farmers' Market. Located within spitting distance of the St. Johns Bridge and gorgeous Cathedral Park, it was mobbed by happy shoppers who not only came to buy but to visit with their neighbors and enjoy the multitude of offerings from local food and beverage vendors. A few of the larger farms were represented, including Sweet Leaf Organics and DeMartini Family Farms, but included a couple of smaller farms from Sauvie Island, as well as other vendors like St. Johns Coffee Roasters and Dovetail Bakery. Dovetail owner Morgan Grundstein-Helvey's (above left) wares were so popular she had to send someone back to the bakery to make more muffins. Luckily it was just a block away!