The Pure Ingredients

Gluten-Free Cooking

2011-05-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

A new client of mine has a son recently diagnosed with gluten and dairy allergies / intolerance. She is an involved and caring person and so wanted to revise the whole household's eating regime in sympathy with her son's restrictions. After trying every gluten and dairy-free bread on the market, and describing them as tasting like sand, dirt, nothing and styro-foam, we began working on a loaf of bread ourselves that was "sandwich-worthy". Sandwich Worthy has become our catch-phrase: the sandwich-worthy slice of bread is not too sweet, not too bland, is tough yet flexible (like a good parent), and can contain meats, spreads, and other layers without crumbling, cracking, or otherwise busting apart. This recipe I found on the internet has been a God-send. I am using it as a suggested list of ingredients and baking multiple batches with various substitutions, such as using corn meal and ground flax in place of the rice flours. The recipe made as is, with no substitutions, is delicious and surprisingly Sandwich-Worthy. Definitely a success on its own. Stay tuned for a post on my improved recipes for Sandwich-Worthy gluten-free and dairy-free bread with pictures!

Committing To A Recipe

2010-11-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

When I was young and we went to Granny's house for a holiday or for the weekend, there was great variety and seasonality to the food. She made vegetable soup when the height of Ohio summer gave her squash, zucchini, carrots, corn, tomatoes and onion. Old favorites would soon come around again in heavy rotation: fried chicken, baked ham, broccoli-rice casserole, Salisbury steak. And the smaller repertoire of desserts featuring Texas sheet cake, pecan pie, sugar cookies, and fudge, always met with great enthusiasm.

I wonder ... if Granny had lived to see the Internet, and lived long enough for us to show her the wonders of Epicurious, The Food Network and Cooking Light , would her old favorite recipes be replaced by new favorites? What would happen if she discovered her pecan pie could be improved upon by adding agave nectar and chocolate chips? And would her commitment to the tried-and-true be tested by the embarrassingly rich selection of the on-line recipe catalogue?

Well, I think I know the answer to that. Granny would stick to what she and her family loved, of course! And history would remain unchanged. I, however, awash in CHOW 's food-topian community and power-tripped-up as I publish mini-reviews on Urban Spoon (my opinions matter!)... I .... will rarely commit to encapsulating a recipe in a plastic sleeve, adorning it with marginalia ("The best yet. A+"), and believe with my heart that no other will ever be needed. There are just too many fish recipes in the internet's sea to settle on one, or even a FEW, ways to prepare cioppino.

Exceptions exist. True love happily forces the exception. For my commitment, what better place to start than with chocolate. I found the brownies for me. I don't know or care what anyone else needs from their brownies. If you are committed to tall and cakey ones, good. If your family always requests the fudgy-gooeys with the powdered sugar on top, I say well done! But my brownies will always be somewhere in between, with a tacky top that fastens your teeth together when you chew and both goo and cake in the middle. "Our thing" is to dress it up with peanut butter chips. That little bit of jouissance is how I reeled this one in, and made it a keeper.

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 1 cup butter, take off heat and stir in 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 2 t vanilla. Beat in 2/3 cup flour, 2/3 cup cocoa, 3/4 t salt and 1 t baking powder. Spread it in a 12 x 8 pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Over-baking these will make them inedible. Take them out on time. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips before baking if desired.

Ginger's Kitchenware = Real Sharp Knives

2009-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Every time I go into Ginger's Kitchenware on Newport (across from Newport Market), I'm so pleased. Many might know it as the specialty kitchen supply store, fancier than Williams-Sonoma, where Ginger holds court, and where you can purchase the latest culinary gadgetry (silicone egg poachers anyone?). However, I know Ginger's Kitchenware as the place to get my knives sharpened in one day, for $4 per knife. This is a great deal! Don't hack away at another onion tonight, or smoosh a perfect tomato with a dull blade -- get 'em sharp again at Ginger's!

A Vegan Lasagna, Off The Cuff

2009-08-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

I had a giant 8-ball zucchini (from the garden!), carrots, garlic, collard greens, broccoli and canned tomato products in the house: that spelled lasagna. I've been trying to eat more raw food than not, so all the vegetables went into the lasagna raw, in the hopes that only 45 minutes of baking would leave more nutrients than might otherwise be there with all the cooking that normally precedes lasagna assemblage. More nutrients or not, I discovered a better way to assemble a vegetarian lasagna -- large slices of uncooked vegetables and thick layers of vegetables with minimal sauce makes a nice, moist casserole without any excess water. It holds its shape like a torte.

1/4 inch thick slices of zucchini or squash
head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
collard green leaves or kale leaves
shiitake mushrooms
marinara of choice
no-boil lasagna noodles
topping of grated carrot and minced garlic

layer: sauce, noodles, sauce, mushrooms, collard leaf, zucchini, noodles, sauce, broccoli, collard leaf, zucchini, noodles, sauce, carrot/garlic topping. Bake 350 for 45 minutes and enjoy layers and layers of lightly-baked vegetables.

A Day Eating In Southeast Portland

2009-08-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was in Portland the other day for fun and to hear Brian Clement from the Hippocrates Health Institute give a lecture on raw food. It was lunchtime when I pulled into the big city, so I just pointed the car toward the Southeast part of town where the lecture was taking place. Well, ya know ya can't swing a dead cat in Portland without hitting a worthy eatery, and lo, one block from my parked car was VegeThai, Portland's "only all-vegetarian Thai restaurant". That means no fish sauce, either. I ordered vegetable pad thai and I would be enthusiastic about this place if they hadn't skimped MAJOR on the veg. Spent the meal turning over rice noodles in a futile attempt to find more cabbage and broccoli. Reasonable price, though, at $7.50. I would give this place another shot -- and order something different.

4 hours later, it was time for dinner, which I had planned pretty meticulously. Back across Hawthorne from VegeThai, at 32nd, is Belly Timber, the newish modern American place housed in a massive corner Victorian. I skipped the outdoor seating, as it was in the 90s, and went straight for the bar area. A bit muggy inside this joint, but I prefer that over blasting air conditioning. The service was awesome. I started with a taste of Hub Lager, a local brew. I'm still in love with IPAs, so this just tasted like Bud to me -- blech. So I went ahead and ordered a Puka Sahib (which is Victorian slang, male mixologist informed me, for "excellent fellow" and often used in colonial-era literature). It contains: Medoyeff vodka from Portland, lemon juice, and Trillium absinthe, from Portland). Our proprietors are leaders in the locally-sourced movement, it turns out, as I coincidentally read in the PDX indy-weekly, not only serving local alcohols, but featuring vegetables grown in the front lawns of Southeast Portland neighborhoods for Sellwood Garden Club. Way cool!!

On to dinner, then -- the free bread was a treat, with its sourdough perfection and house-made salts: one a smokey anise flavored, and one a carrot salt. They also put some sugar in their salt, which was nice, but not subtle. Appetizer was the Dungeness crab cakes ($9) with fennel potato salad and red pepper oil. Though salty, there wasn't a crumb left on my plate, as I used the last of my bread to clean up the pepper oil. Potato salad was perfect little squares of potato, very al dente; ok, too al dente, but that didn't stop me from inhaling them.

My main was the Mushroom and Goat Cheese Torta (half order, $8), which I can't stop thinking about. On the bottom of the perfect pastry was a layer of caramelized shallots. The filling was overwhelmingly goat cheesy, in a good way, but with giant chanterelles to interrupt the creaminess. The slice was laid on chard and barley: again salty, but I love salt. Perhaps I should say "well-seasoned". The dish was finished with pickled celery and radish, which I could have done without, but whatever: pickled veg is good for you. The standouts on this dish are the generous and exotic mushrooms, the obviously quality goat cheese, and the perfection of the crust. I hope this place makes it for the long haul -- its enviro-heart is in the right place, and I truly enjoyed every bite.

Catherine's Flaxxy Breakfast Souffle

2009-08-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of my sister's yummy protein-packed breakfast concoction:

Mix this up:
2 egg whites
1 egg
1/3 cup ground flax
1/2 cup yogurt
1 t vanilla
1/2 t baking powder
Cinnamon and cardamom to taste

Pour into a small, hot, oiled pan and let it hiss, then turn down the heat to low and cover. When it's puffy and set enough, flip it and cook for another few minutes. Put on a plate, smear with almond butter, top with berries and voila: breakfast that will keep you full until the afternoon.

Ocean Roll Pudding

2009-08-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sparrow Bakery is further away from my house than Back Porch Coffee on Newport. Back Porch sells Sparrow's baked goods. Therefor, I buy the famous cardamom Ocean Rolls at Back Porch. When last I went to Back Porch for 4 rolls for my house guests, the lovely barista asked if I'd like to try something fabulous with the rolls. I said "most assuredly". And she gave me her recipe for a bread pudding made with the rolls. Now... why didn't I think of this?

4 Ocean Rolls, cut in half length-wise, placed in a casserole dish
1.5 cups almond milk mixed with 1 T vanilla and 4 eggs, poured over the rolls.
Cover and let sit for a few hours in the fridge. Bake 350 degrees covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 30 minutes. Do this recipe with any favorite cinnamon roll.

Damn, that's good. Thanks Back Porch barista girl!!! My guests LOVED it.

Coconut Carrot Cake

2009-06-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

I have company at my house and it's nice to make a cake when you know half of it will be eaten at one sitting. This is a winner: tons of grated carrot, walnuts, cream cheese frosting and coated with unsweetened coconut shavings.

Grilling Addiction

2009-06-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm grilling every other night, rain or shine. Tonight was rain sprinkles, Chipotle Burgers w/ Jalapeno Slaw, and Asian Tofu Rectangles (for lunch tomorrow). For the burgers, I used a pound of organic ground beef with a higher fat percentage, 3 chopped chipotle, a little olive oil, some splashes of Worchestershire, and charred until medium-well. I served with CostCo mixed greens with romaine pieces, diced avocado, cucumber and with Vidalia-Poppyseed dressing. Then, to use the rest of the hot coals, I threw on tofu bars that had a marinade of red chili pepper sauce, sesame seed oil and tamari. The tofu really got great char marks on it. It would be good in some Bun, Vietnamese-style salad w/ a fish sauce/rice vinegar dressing.

Memorial Day Grillin'

2009-05-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Perfect weather this Memorial Day for grilling up some salmon.
Menu:
Marinated Wild Copper River Salmon (CostCo!)
Steamed Broccoli Florets (from the giant CostCo bag of same)
Spring Greens w/ Italian Dressing (both from CostCo) and homemade croutons made w/ CostCo whole wheat seed bread

The marinade: brown sugar, white wine, soy sauce, melted butter, lemon juice.

Boy, meals and days like this make you feel pretty lucky to be alive and living in such a beautiful and free country. Happy Memorial Day to all Americans! Thanks to my family members who have served: Dad, Grandpas, Cousins, Uncles!! Thinking of you all today.

Overturf Micro-CSA first plantings

2009-05-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

The very first plantings of the future Overturf Micro-CSA are in the ground! This is largely a year of trial and error, with an emphasis most likely on error, both in execution and variety. By this, I mean that I went out and bought random fruits and vegetables and then planted them all in a small area in order just to get things in the ground. I have never been good at thinking things through before I press the execute button, and this garden is a living testament to that. But good things always come from a lack of planning, too.

So what do we have? Here is a list of plantings I have high hopes for:
Zucchini squash
Yellow squash
8-ball Squash
Raspberries (OK, only one raspberry plant)
Strawberries
Cucumbers

Here is a list of veg I always approach with skepticism unless I'm planting them in good old Ohio:
Tomatoes
Jalapenos
Broccoli

So there you have it. Best case scenario, all plantings produce fruit and BEG to be planted again next year in 5 times the proportion! Worst case: don't think about that! Check back here for notes, photos and progress reports on my backyard garden which I hope to turn into a neighborhood micro-CSA ("community supported agriculture").

A Late Lunch at Park Kitchen in Portland

2009-05-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

Finding Park Kitchen was a trial for two gals with very little experience navigating Portland. We found Park Avenue (Street), but we were in the wrong quadrant. There is a SW and a NW: who, without a map, knew? Finally, with the knowledge the kitchen stayed open for lunch until 2 pm, we arrived at around 1 pm.

A fine establishment! First the service: top notch! We felt welcome, as late as we were for lunch, and not rushed in the least. I sniffed out a seat as close to the kitchen as possible: open kitchen, so we watched and listened to the staff. Disappointed no females in the kitch, as I'm most inclined to dine in a feminine kitchen at those prices, but the banter emerging from the grill area was inoffensive, and, refreshingly, in English! So what the freak, Portland is a different world -- an urbane oddity, a mystery to me; and I'm just a rube, a hick, an interloper anyways: no judgment here, except where the food meets the taste-buds.

Herewith, we began with cocktails from the delightful libations menu! $9 apiece, but this was really our only fancy meal of the trip, so we drank. Though the "Kentucky Battle" tickled me ("2 mini manhattans: Wild Turkey rye and Buffalo Trace bourbon"), we settled on The Replacement for my just-landed friend ("Aquavit, Benedictine, Lillet Blanc, Fernet Branca, OJ") and a Slivovitz Swizzle for me ("Slivovitz, mint, lime, sugar, crushed ice, Peychauds bitters").
Both were nice, hers sweet, mine freshly minty with a wad of just picked, muddled mint leaves crammed into the bottom of the high ball. Yum! Effective!

I praise Park Kitchen for having a "Power Lunch" menu wherein you may order a soup, a lunch entree, and a dessert for one low-ish price. I'm operating on memory now because the Park Kitchen's stylish web site does not have a current menu up. So for a soup, we had a pureed nettles and asparagus soup, creamy, bright green and studded with tiny pickled asparagus discs. Next the main course of some kind of cod on a bed of something or other for my guest, and a lively take on a banh mi sandwich for me. Lots of pickled vegetables, which are trendy I gather, and crunchy, almost rock-like bread. Was I too late for lunch or was it supposed to be so so hard? Seemed to have two kinds of pork inside: a roast tenderloin slice and a hammier, pink version. Yum. Oh and ps: the jalapenos are pickled on site. Cool.

Dessert! Oh, dessert. Just happened to be the most memorable part of this meal. Soft, crumbly, warm chocolate cookies and beet sorbet. Yeah, we thought it was marionberry or raspberry and were surprised to taste dirt on our tongues. I ate half, as it was VERY sweet, and my guest barely tasted it a second time. Two unsophisticated Ohio-bred palates, pushin our plates away in a vote against a top shelf dessert. Shame.

I would like to go to Park Kitchen again and again, so whoever flies in to visit us will also get the pleasure of their seasonal, ever-changing, and ever-trendy menu.

Cascade Lakes Brewing Company

2009-05-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Hurray for going out to eat after yard work! After getting two 5-gallon containers of timber bamboo (cold-hardy) and one large lilac tree in the ground, husband and I traveled less than a mile to Cascade Lakes brew-pub. Very cozy! Tranquil, family-friendly, perfectly lit and having smashing service. I declare, I've not been this un-offended in a restaurant in quite some time. There was NOTHING to complain about! Whatever was I to do while not looking askance and not peering down my nose? The answer was ... have a relaxing, good time with my spouse and my food.

First, oyster shooters: two of them, both for the husband. He loves those things. More power to him. Second, turkey burger and a side salad w/ balsamic for me, and buffalo burger and fries for him. He cut out a fourth of the thing for me, and I cut a third of the turkey burger out for him, and this was an agreeable arrangement for sharing. Yum! Especially the buffalo burger. It had the flame-kissed charcoal taste and I fairly ate my 25% in two bites. That equals one burger in 8 bites. I might be exaggerating. But it did seem like my mouth was too full for polite company most of the time. Luckily, no polite company in sight.

I mustn't forget the beer. I had the IPA: yummy but unspectacular -- not hoppy enough, and not cold enough, but I dig the glasses, which are actual pint-sized. The husband had the porter, which is fast becoming his brew of choice. One sip and he nailed it: smokey. And tobacco-y. Unlike the chocolatey Bend Brewing Company porter, and unlike the mild, but undescribable, Deschutes Brewery Black Butte porter, this one was definitley of the Liquid Smoke variety, which is great, especially if you have ever enjoyed a pinch between your cheek and gums. It just has a very adult bite to it, of which I highly approve. It's not PG-13 -- it's R.

Then the dessert was a mousse cake, shared, for modesty's sake, but scarfed nonetheless. Cascade Lakes wins major points with me for purchaseing its desserts from Hurricane bakery ("a whirlwind of desserts"). Just a classy joint all the way around.

Chilly Day Mango Cinnamon Smoothie

2009-03-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a treat. I whip up smoothies all the time, but this one was worth writing down.

1 cup frozen mango chunks
2 cups cold almond milk
1 t cinnamon
1 T hemp powder
1 cup coconut or vanilla yogurt

Blend until smooth and fluffy. It's the cinnamon that really makes it good!

Making Gumbo for Mardi Gras

2009-02-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

I turned out an acceptable gumbo, and here's how I did it. First, sautee red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, onion and garlic in butter for at least a half hour on medium heat. Basically caramelize it. Next, make the roux: melt 1/3 cup butter and then add 1/3 cup whole wheat flour over medium-medium high heat and stir constantly until it turns darker brown (at least 15 minutes).

When the roux is to your liking, throw in a cup of chunked chicken thighs and the vegetable sautee mixture and stir until the chicken is browned. Then add 4 cups boxed beef broth, 1 teaspoon sugar, and one can diced tomatoes, un-drained.

Throw in 2 bay leaves, some dried thyme, fresh parsley, salt, and a half teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 2 and a half hours. Clean the house, do laundry, take a shower, work on your Facebook. Add as much raw shrimp and pre-cooked andouille sausage chunks as you want. Add some hot sauce and 2 T worcestershire sauce. Simmer 10 minutes, remove bay leaves, add file powder and serve over short-grained brown rice. Oh, don't forget to taste to see if it's hot enough. If not, add more cayenne.

MegaComfort: Parrilla Grill and Tumalo Feed Company

2009-02-20T20:55:00.001-08:00

With our first Bend house guest in tow, and after a snowy hike up Bachelor way, we finally made it to Parrilla Grill. I must have some kind of complex being new here, but I kind of figure every place around here puts on airs with food. Figure they all want to be fancy or nouveau or at least on top of trends. Kinda figure they must all, in their restaurant heart of hearts, either have Kobe sliders on the menu or are planning on having them. Well, I'm happy to report neither Parrilla Grill nor Tumalo Feed Company ain't those places. At all. Sure Parrilla serves a wrappy thingamabob with Asian fillings, but they do it while wearing jeans and slinging domestic beers alongside and with, get this, no actual metal forks or knives anywhere for our use. Plastic only. These small things, and including the ordering at the counter ala Chipotle, made me feel veeeeeery at home. I was dragging a chair over with my leg to use as a footstool, talking loud, and generally thinking mighty high of myself for choosing this town to live in. Not to mention my fish tacos w/ habanero sauce were excellent. The guest left nothing of his Asian-ish wrappy thing, but husband was correct that his beef fajita burrito was bland, lacking seasoning. Also, I suspect the guacamole was squeezed out of a plastic bag, perhaps purchased from CostCo?

It was risky to choose Tumalo Feed Company for our last dinner w/ the Guest. We knew that. First of all, it's outside of town sitting all by itself in the pitch black Oregon night. Second, it's got that gimmicky exterior. But, I have to say, it was very memorable, in a real Texas way. The Guest even commented how he felt as if he were back in the Fort Worth Stockyards. With Johnny Cash playing softly in the background, and longhorn steer heads benevolently staring down at us, we were delighted by our "free" onion rings w/ fresh salsa appetizer. In reality, the price of dinner includes appetizer, salad, boracha beans, fried redskin potatoes (squared potatoes, as Mom used to call them), garlic bread, meat, and dessert. I LOVE that set-up: tends to bring the kid out in me, and honestly makes me feel like I'm getting a good deal (a feeling that evaporated when we got our $80 bill). With gusto, we really laid into our meals: steak and pork ribs plate for me and the seasoning on the beef was superb. However, the ribs were tough and the sauce was ketchup-y. Rib-eye for the Guest, of which not a scrap was left on his steak-lovin' plate. Beef and Pork Ribs Plate for Husband. Although he had the same complaint of toughness, he did wake up the next morning with BBQ sauce streaked faintly on his cheek and I remember a neat pile of bones on his plate. Yes, it was a night of food debauchery that ended with two bowls of vanilla ice cream w/ Hershey's syrup and one root beer float. Darn good eatin'.

There is so much wrong with Tumalo Feed Company, but for the life of me, I couldn't stop EATING and SMILING. All the tables around me, including kids galore, were smiling, too. This place packs them in and makes them smile, sending them on their way groaning with abdominal pleasure. Had we not had dinner at TFC, I would always wonder what it was like every time we drove by it on our way to Maston for mountain biking. And though Husband and I both regretted not taking Guest to The Blacksmith, we had a real nice time in Tumalo.

Tony's Delicatessen in Bend, Oregon

2009-02-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Tony's is in the fancy Safeway/Starbucks shopping center in Bend. The muffaletta from New Orleans was really haunting me, and I wanted to eat MORE provolone, MORE mortadella, and MORE, MORE, MORE yummy crunchy bread. I wanted to walk into that place and yell "turn me into a Soprano!!" I was hungry. The sandwich that most closely resembled a muffaletta was the Adamonator, named for the guy who I ordered it from, whose last name is Adamo. Unlike a muffaletta, this baby was long and sub-like, but the flavors were splendid. I liked the big, crunchy romaine leaf in the middle, but I just couldn't decide about the balsamic vinaigrette that soaked the bread. I think I liked it, but I would have liked a tapenade or some pepperoncini more. Salty and savory rather than sweet. It came with a side of potato salad, which was excellent. I'll be going back there for more, probably another Adamonator, and I'll probably be walking there since it is close to the house we are buying. It looks as if this is the place to get nice proscuitto in their deli case, too.

New Orleans Eating Tour: Part Deux

2009-02-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

I spent a whole day in New Orleans and ate a lot of food. Never had been to Central Grocery before so I parked my car on the river near Decatur and walked over for an early lunch. Waves of people were pouring into the place, which is tiny. I am guessing about 85% of them were tourists, but I did see a few singles looking very business-like w/ their Mufalettas. I mis-pronouned Mufaletta and then didn't order it right and the guy fairly rolled his eyes at me. Oh, it was delicious, though. I easily could have eaten 3/4s of the whole thing, but since I only ordered half, I had 2/4ths. Easily the best food I had on my trip. If you are ever downtown or in the Quarter, just do yourself a favor and go to Central Grocery for a Mufalletta.

Then it was on to the Cafe Du Monde, alternately walking in the crisp shade and the bright sunlight. Blue skies, all day long. Cafe DM was half full. I sat outside and ate one beignet and drank some coffee w/ milk, watching a stained, faceless homeless man wastebasket dive. Saw several street people, looking pretty desperate, but not asking for money.

By this time is was after the noon hour, so when I passed the Old Absinthe House I couldn't resist nipping in for a Sazerac. I understand the business cards posted by the thousands on the walls is a tradition, but it really destroys any sense of history. Kind of sad in there. Tourist couples drinking Bloody Marys. Lots of cigarette smoke.

On to more dessert. I found a gelato shop across the street from the The Gumbo Shop called La Divina Gelateria. The nice man scooping the gelato was the owner and he served me up some Chocolate Azteca which was spicy. But dingit, I should have gotten a shot of espresso with it, but I did not know it was also a coffee shop until looking at the website. I had a nice time eating my cinnamon-tasting, spicy, organic gelato in the courtyard, listening in on a New Orleans real estate agent hustle on his cell phone.

About this time, the Mardi Gras Marathon expo was open, so I walked back through the Quarter and weaved in and out the streets, taking in the sights, and eventually finding Canal and then Poydras and then the big hotel. After officially registering in Sunday's marathon, I started to get hungry again. Time to carbo-load, New Orleans style. Many blocks later, I was in my car and back on Canal heading for Mandina's. Mandina's is described as Creole and Italian and it's a casual place. This trip was dedicated to casual, so it was on my list. I ordered water and spaghetti and meatballs. It was just what I needed, and I could only eat half. My waitress was super friendly and we talked for awhile about food and New Orleans. Within a half hour I was on my way again, before the Friday crowd even got in their cars to drive to Mandina's.

Last stop: Juan's Flying Burrito on Magazine Street for a vegetable and bean burrito to go. I needed something to eat the next day and this lasted a great long time: it was great after a few minutes in the microwave, very spicy, very fresh.

If I had my sistah or my best girl buddy with me, I would have gathered my tired self up, hit a few espressos on Magazine, and high tailed it to The Wine Institute of New Orleans. However, I was alone, tired and needed to start babying my legs, as they would be jogging 26 miles in a couple of days.

Two days later, after the marathon, I was craving King Cake. Lucky for me the Ponchatoula, Louisiana Winn Dixie bakery was serving it up!

O New Orleans, how many culinary treats you keep hidden from me, a tourist and a Midwesterner. I promise to keep searching! Here is another excellent New Orleans food tour.

I'm off to New Orleans to Run and to Eat

2009-01-29T00:34:00.000-08:00

It's not the cheapest flight I've ever paid for, but Redmond to New Orelans via Salt Lake City is at least available! No drive to Portland, which is nice. It's exciting to be flying out of a new airport. I'll be visiting a few of these places this time around. The theme is "everyday N'awlins eatin'":

http://juansflyingburrito.com/
http://www.gumboshop.com/
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/57/620391/restaurant/French-Quarter/Central-Grocery-New-Orleans
http://www.mandinasrestaurant.com/
http://piccadilly.com/
Rivershack Tavern

Then I'll be here for approximately 4 to 5 hours:

http://www.mardigrasmarathon.com/

Then I'll be eating again. Eat, run, eat. Run, eat, run.

Rico's Tacos

2009-01-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

With the boxer eating a chunk of beef pelvis in the car, we popped into Rico's Tacos for lunch yesterday. Immediately you notice the place is spotless. It's just a feeling that everything is in order. Very warm and fuzzy, too, right off the bat. The husband must have felt at ease because he ordered in Spanish, which is a sign he is in good spirits: one giant beef burrito for him, and a tacos plate for me. Waiting for our food to arrive I got a chance to check out the cleanliness level of the rest of the place. Bathroom: check, very clean. And looking into the kitchen on my way to the restroom I saw clean floors and bare counter tops and an older woman none too pleased to have me peeking in at her. So what blew me away about this place other than the cozy atmosphere was the Mexican rice. Soft and kind of mushy, it was perfectly seasoned and just so HOMEMADE. The grains clung together in pleasing tomato-y lumps, while the refritos were lardy, whole bean goodness, again perfectly seasoned. The beef taco (double-tortilla'd) was great, too, but the pork was inedible because of gristle through and through. Husband noticed gristle in his beef burrito, too, but that didn't stop him from eating the whole thing and sucking down all of his yummy horchata, which he described as "just right". Rico's Tacos is also a bakery, but I didn't eat anything from the case. Yummy Rico's Tacos: go here and be reminded that "authentic" and "made that very day from scratch" are one and the same.

When Is A Salad Just An Excuse To Eat Cheese, Candy and Bacon?

2009-01-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Answer:
When I happen to have gorgonzola, spicy-sweet pecans, bacon crumbles and mixed greens in the fridge.

Mini Review: Twenty-Eight

2009-01-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

To my surprise, the husband wanted to "go out" on Saturday night, and shocker of shockers, he had a place in mind: 28 downtown, Bend's "casual American bistro". It's not fair to write reviews based on one visit, but too bad. First impressions and all. Happily we were greeted at the door, which is a cramped, feng shui mess, and ushered to a nice two-top by a very warm and smiling gal. Great start. Husband was so clever, ordering his sake-tini w/ cucumber juice, while I, as usual, waded into the (limited) wine list and came up with a Napa cab the waitron suggested. The glass is always greener on the other side of the table. But I wouldn't have to worry about food envy, as Twenty-Eight is a sharing kind of place. Husband wanted marinated olives. I aked if they were marinated in-house, and no, they weren't, and I can't hack paying $4.00 for a handful of olives I can buy at Safeway in their "Mediterranean Bar" for a dollar. Belt-tightening, ya know. So we ordered the chorizo-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates, which were tiny and sweet-salty. Entrees were the fish tacos, served with a tiny-diced pico de gallo and napa cabbage mixed with cubes of fried fish coated in a spicy dust, and Kobe beef sliders. The sliders also came with crunchy shredded Napa cabbage and a large pickle. They were nice, but the big bun overwhelmed the thin beef patty. Guess I'm not the only one tightening my belt. Over all, it was a nice dinner, but I wouldn't want to wait for a table at Twenty-Eight. I'd feel like a schmuck.

Inevitable: The Whole Foods Test

2009-01-18T22:57:00.000-08:00

Let me just get to the point. I went to Whole Foods here in Bend to get a brisket for the weekend's meals (you know, first in tacos, then as BBQ, then some for the dogs, then just shoving it into your mouth cold on Sunday night). I got corn-fused pretty darn quick when, looking frantically into the glass carnivore case, I did not immediately apprehend said poor-person's cut of meat. Certainly there must be another meat section, round the corner, perhaps, or already smoked or something in their in-house smoker. Wait a cotton-pickin' minute: this ain't Texas, sistah. You got spoilt there in that Metroplex surrounded by cow and buffalo-killing fields. Here in Bend, sad to say, what stared back at me from inside the meaty case, was a barely 2-pound, non-organic, brisket. From a cow. No organix, no buffalo. Well, now, I know it's not neighborly to complain in your host's house about the menu, so I won't. Like the humble new-comer I am, I'll just mention on closing that the cheese selections in all the groceries around here are superior! Plus I know Whole Foods is hardly any town's representative of local food. I've got lots to learn here and these places might help:
Cinder Butte Meat Company
Pine Mountain Ranch (buffalo)
Fresh Start Farms (beef, chicken, pork)
and Eat Wild in Oregon

Bend Eating

2009-01-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

It's been an adventure so far, since leaving Texas in the dark and stormy night, spending my 39th birthday in Vegas, and arriving in this strange, unknown land of Central Oregon with its cinders for snow control, woodsmoke, and pitch black nights. The first week and a half we ate out a lot since my mise en place consisted of two knives, two forks, two spoons, two bowls, two plates, a pot, some salt, and no food. So we've gotten to know some places already.
Chan's on 3rd: decent, especially awesome hot and sour soup, horrid fried rice in the same sense that Mexican rice is horrid in 90% of those places.
Szechuan on 3rd: dirty floors, luke-warm hot and sour soup, average entrees, okay if you like mediocre food and the entire front and back of the house staring at you while you eat, as if to say "when in HELL are you two going to leave already?"
Super Burrito: very good and very good atmospherics. Coming from Texas, I'm hesitant to go to these other Mexican places here, but this was nice and I want to try Hola as well.
McMeniman's (in the theatre): the husband had the ahi burger ("probably won't order that again") and I had a veggie pizza. Better than bar food, but may I recommend eating somewhere else first and just drink their beer. Humble opinion. Only here a few weeks. Don't yell at me. As a concept chain of bars, it excels. It's just such a delicious idea: turn historic properties around Oregon into atmospheric pubs with fireplaces, guest rooms, multiple drinking rooms, history lessons, antiques, festivals, live theatre, movie screens, fire pits, Turkish baths, cigar areas, and restaurants. Oh and host Scotch tastings for good measure.
Black Bear Diner: only realized it was a chain after reading the menu: whoops. But the Bacon Lettuce Avocado Swiss Tomato sandwich was yummy (the B.L.A.S.T.), as was the husband's meatloaf and mashers. Nice mashed red-skins with yum salty gravy. $2.50 for a Coke: is that normal? Oh, and good salads with red onions and romaine.
South Postal Unit Curry Stop: the woman there whips up a mean chicken curry. The meat is falling off the bones and those chicken legs are meaty. The jasmine rice is as flavorful as any high-falutin' Indian joint, and she adds pickled jalapenos and red onion on top (hurray!), all for under $5.00, plus you can get your Bulletin and take care of your postal needs in a warm, friendly environment full of Bend's south end folks.
Deschutes Brewery: Yum, yum, yum. Such a treat to eat there. I had the falafel salad the first night we rolled into town, with my head spinning from 10 hours on the road from California. Add only one pint of Mirror Pond to that and I nearly was passing out from stress, elevation, lack of sleep, punchiness, disbelief, and then, I guess, inebriation. This is where you can have two entrees and three beers for under $40 including tip. Can't wait to go again.
Typhoon: We ate here on a visit in September and it rocked and was affordable, even with two glasses of Oregon pinot. The one thing I keep dreaming about: crab lemon grass coconut soup.
Pizzacato Pizzeria: we picked up a giant size Pizza Blanca and I winced at the $38 price, but we wanted to feed our moving crew, which we did, and still had left-overs to the tune of two more meals. 8 servings for under $40. It's fancy-pants pizza, but if you don't hog down on it and stick to portions within reason, you can make it pay off.
Baldy's BBQ: OK, I sneaked in here without the husband for a quick take-out of pulled pork on a bun with chipotle mashers and baked beans. It all was very good. Made me smile a lot. One pick: the pork is truly pulled and in largish chunks, which was okay, but I really was emotionally craving the chopped pork of dear ol' Carolina. With some cole slaw on top ... pretty puhleaaaays?
Strictly Organic Coffee: This is the kind of place that tickles me no end, from the agave nectar at the coffee prep area (raw!), to the all-organic beans, to the homemade p-nut butter dog biscuits (all three canines hardly sniffed them before mowing down), to the giant cookies in jars each separated by a perfect square of tissue paper, ready for you to grab, it's allllllll good. Can't wait to drive through and try a more substantial meal. Oh, and the iced Americanos are rockin'.
Victorian Cafe: It's like my husband's food-dream - a whole restaurant dedicated to eggs benedict. He had the Carribean kind with mango and black beans and despite that he called it "messy" and said he wouldn't order it again (read: but I will order a different kind of eggs benedict for sure), we were impressed. Of course I had the club w/ avocado on sourdough. Passable. But why no toasty the bread, boys?
Next on the Agenda if we get jobs:
The Indian place downtown for the lunch buffet
Village Baker
Hola!
The Thai place on Division
about a hundred other places downtown, including some fancy pants ones.

Last Supper in Sprawlburbia

2008-12-21T18:32:00.000-08:00

It was inevitable we'd visit the new Chili's down the street (Arlington's 100th?). When you have a happy hour a half mile away how do you pretend it's not there? After a looooong time with a huuuuuge menu, hubby sipping a marg and me with a draft Shiner, we settled on Portobella and Steak Fajitas and Chicken Tacos for me. It was a totally enjoyable meal, but a meal not without its problems, a few of which I will enjoy to point out. First, these "black beans" that Chili's serves up with all its Tex-Mex-esque dishes are nothing but Sysco cans of Goya beans, undoctored. Kinda gross in their plainness, mostly because you realize the profit margin here and it grosses you out. Second, ditto for the "Mission" tortillas. They are sweet and they are chock full of hydrogenated oils. Just because chain restaurants deal in warehouse foods, doesn't mean I can't complain about it. Our wonderful, attentive older waiter, the amazing cleanliness of the place, however, as well as hubby's great-tasting fajitas, made our early-bird meal a solid B-. Fajitas, heh-heh; now there is something chains get right.

Restaurant Updates: Bigotes, Estella's, Angelo's

2008-09-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Went back to Bigote's on Abram near 360 in Arlington for dinner last weekend. This time I took the husband, who was pleased with his Carne Guisada and whose digestive tract remained intact thereafter. My dinner and tract, on the other hand, were not so lucky. No need to get graphic -- only want to say that I won't be back and that I suffered for mulitple days. I had the tamales.

Finally made it to Estella's on Arkansas in Arlington. The food was more benign than Bigote's, thank God, but I won't be going back there, either, due to the fact that their "cheese" is the stuff that comes in those gallon cans at CostCo. And they put it on eeeeeeeverything. It's that cheese you get when you are so hungry and desperate that you order the "Nachos" at the AMC Theatres. Chips and salsa were tops, and the interior of this place is so stripped down and aged, it's sort of interesting to see. Depressing, yes, but still interesting in an 80s kind of way.

Now for the great news! Angelo's BBQ on White Settlement is amazing and I can't believe I wasted all this time/money on any other BBQ in town! The place is a giant, cavernous, big game trophied, dusty, dark, Shiner on tap, bar/picnic table joint. I had the two-meat plate w/ chicken and ribs and hot DAMN, it was good. One complaint: expensive ($14 for my plate, which comes with all the sides automatically). I like that you don't have to choose the side, that you get all of them on the plate: for me, the UN-decider, the ANTI-decision maker, this is just what the diner ordered. So to speak.

Knocking Down My "Must Eat" List in Fort Worth-Arlington

2008-07-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Being that I am determined to broaden my restaurant-istic vocabulary, and being that I have an official wish list of restaurants to experience, it may come as no surprise that some progress has been made in the last month. Among the restaurants I have visited:

Bigote's (Arlington): Simply, very good. The ala-carte menu is inexpensive. I had guacamole, beef tamale, beef taco, chicken enchilada and diet coke for under $8. I love that this place has been around since the mid-80s and the service was kindly and efficient. (B)
Red Cactus (University): Beef taquitos w/ pico de gallo were A++, but a vegetable quesadilla was overpowered by mushrooms. Kindly staff, very clean and comfy decor, fun 80s music. (B)
Kincaid's (Camp Bowie): The original location. Funky, old-timey way of doing things. Order at the counter and stand at the rows of standing tables and wait for your name to be called. It is also a dry goods store, with canned veggies and soaps for sale. The burger: delicious, though the bun was stale. (B-)
Piranha Killer Sushi (downtown Fort Worth): This place is hipper than thou, too cool for school, and ALL THAT. Lobster Roll, Squid Salad and Sashimi were among the best tasting restaurant foods I've ever tasted. The Squid Salad was especially audacious, with chili sauce so spicy and salty and pungent I almost couldn't believe other people would like it! But I loved it and I can't wait to take my next out-of-town visitor to PKS! Great wine selections, too. (A)
Thai Tina (second visit): I was taking my husband here for our regular Sunday evening early-bird meal "out," and so I very much wanted it to be delicious. It shore was. The hubby had a char-grilled pork tenderloin medallions concoction on rice. I had green curry. Both high voltage spicy and sweatingly good. Only 2 other tables eating! C'mon y'all: have a meal at Thai Tina! (B)
Olenjack's (Arlington): A nice place, though non-descript and strip-mally in feel. The servers were quite young for such a high-falutin' joint. I wanted to try the creamy jalapeno soup, but peer pressure led me to order the crostini for an appetizer (forgettable). I had the trout for a main course and really cannot remember what was next to it on the plate. (C)

New Orleans Eating Tour: Part Un

2008-07-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

With most of my clients on vacation and Lili's Bistro where I cook on the weekends closed for the Fourth of July, I decided to hop on down to New Orleans. The purpose of my trip: eat like a Cajun queen and become inspired to cook like one. Mission accomplished. Daniel Bouloud's After Hours forays into the Crescent City left a niggling bug in my brain for getting a meal at Cochon in the Warehouse District. I got an early start in the city, walking in the heat down Magazine Street, looking for a place to get a small plate and a glass of red wine. The nice man at Martin Wine Cellar told me to head for The Delachaise, corner of St. Charles and Delachaise. On my way there I passed Lilette in hopes I'd be inspired to make a reservation for the next night, only to discover they would be closed for the next few days. That was my first inkling that things in the restaurant world are a tad different in the Big Easy. I would discover many restaurants were closed for the July 4th long weekend (and into the week!), including Cafe Reconcile, the lunch spot my Mother and I were so looking forward to trying!

The Delachaise was real nice and friendly; a straightforward drinking place with class and tapas. Big blackboards lined the wall above the bar, each with its own heading: Bourbon, Red Wine, Gin, Tequila, etc., with their vintages and their prices per. This made ordering very easy. I had the cheapest glass of French red they offered ($7) and the crab-meat johnny cakes with wasabi caviar. Two female barkeeps graciously talked with me about their favorite places to eat while I took notes (the Rivershack Tavern was praised repeatedly). I asked them about Cochon, my destination for the evening. Looks of concern came over their faces and one said "It's OK if you like meat. I mean really like meat. You'll smell like BBQ smoke when you leave." That sealed it! I was going to enjoy my meal!

And so I did. Arriving around 7:30 PM, I think I took the last spot in the place. Very masculine in feel, decor and menu selections, Cochon didn't disappoint me. How could I resist a classic like North Carolina-style pork BBQ (called "Louisiana Cochon"), served w/ fresh cracklins and pickled peaches? This and the buttermilk-lemon pie w/ blueberries made my evening in NOLA a crackin' way to start my Fourth of July trip!

2007-10-08T20:03:00.000-07:00