Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen Keepers Powell’s Books Event

Getting to be “in conversation” with Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen at Powell’s Books last week was a dream come true. I've been a fan of Deb's since waaaay back when. I was even lucky enough to get to interview her about her blog and food writing in 2007, just a year after she started Smitten Kitchen. At the Powell’s event I asked her about that interview from way back when, and she actually remembered it, which made me so happy. I also got to read one of her answers from that interview (so sweet and thoughtful) to everyone and then ask her the very same question now 15 years later. Her new book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, is a KEEPER! I love it so much. You’ll see just how much below.

Over the years, I’ve moderated a lot of these sort of one-on-one book events at Powell’s, for Portland Book Festival, for the Portland Fermentation Festival, for the Tokyo Fermentation Future Forum. And I genuinely love doing it. Yes, it always makes me a bit nervous, it’s public speaking after all, but getting to be in conversation with my food heroes, and to help get the word out about their latest and greatest books and projects, is a huge honor and my great pleasure. For Powell’s, I’ve been lucky enough “in conversation” with Mark Bittman, Dana Cowin, Sandor Ellix Katz many times in-person and virtual, Marisa McClellan, Cecily Wong, Steven Raichlen and others. And now Deb Perelman!

This event is one of my very favorites and they’ve all been excellent. Oh my goodness, the DEBHEADS came out in masses! 30 minutes before the event Powell’s was at capacity. Hundreds were turned away, and many of those who were went downstairs to the red room where they broadcasted the event. I’ve never attended a more packed Powell’s book event. Never ever. A lot of folks who wanted to be in the room, or be at the event at all, asked me with their fingers crossed if the event was recorded. Well, yes, it was! I always audio record the Powell’s events and then I usually post them here after if the author wants me to. Thankfully they’ve always wanted me to. It’s nice for me to have keepsakes of these super special events on the blog here. I used to post here about all sorts of food and drink culture things regularly. Now I only do so for special events like this.

So, here you go. For your listening pleasure…

I’ve cooked so many delicious things from Smitten Kitchen Keepers already. If you want to see some of the yummiest things, they’re all on my Instagram as well below in this post when you scroll down. Oh and I also got to do this fun AM Northwest segment a couple weeks ago to help promote the Smitten Powell’s event. Not that it needed ANY promoting.

I love that the morning after the Powell’s event I got to give Deb various breakfast recommendations at her request. I recommended several really yummy and fun spots and she ended up at Broder Nord, which I love. She really dug it too. Ok, onto the photos…

So many DEBHEADS at Deb’s Smitten Kitchen Keepers + Powell’s event! *Photo courtesy of Katie Mehan — thank you Katie!

Deb made us all laugh a lot throughout the night with her candor and stories. So funny and so generous. It was a really intimate event and I’m certain that everyone who attended left feeling energized by it. I really loved Deb’s last meal answer at the end of the event during audience Q&A by the way. I want that meal! *Photo courtesy of Katie Mehan — thank you Katie!

Deb signed hundreds of her books before I arrived and she personalized them after the event as people lined up in groups, as if boarding a plane. *Photo courtesy of Katie Mehan — thank you Katie!

I arrived about 20 minutes before the event and this is where I found Deb — upstairs in the stockroom smiling and signing books with the Powell’s lovelies including Kevin Sampsell to Deb’s left.

I made this Smitten Kitchen Keepers Farro Salad with Roasted Tomatoes with my slow-roasted olive oily summer garden tomatoes (from the freezer) and it was delicious. I love it on its own or with salad or frittata or something else that’s yummy for a meal.

These Thick Molasses Spice Cookies in the book are also incredible! You might think you’ve under baked them but trust Deb’s steps 100 percent. She is always looking out for her readers.

Oh my goodness this Clam Chowder with Bacon Croutons from the book is sooooo good. I ate it over the course of a few days when I was out at the coast recently. I love that you add the bacon when serving it so that it doesn’t get overcooked and flabby. YUM!

My boyfriend Jimbo and I both love the book’s Creamy Tomato Chickpea Masala. Don’t skimp on the heavy cream! You’re worth it.

It was such a lovely day when this book arrived on my doorstep mid-December. Lucky me! Smitten Kitchen Keepers is a KEEPER!

Thank you so very much Deb & Powell’s for this super special event! And thanks to everyone who came out for it.

Purchase Deb’s Smitten Kitchen Keepers XOXO

Sandor Ellix Katz Powell’s Books Event for Wild Fermentation 2nd Edition

I’ve been very lucky over the years to get to be “in conversation” with all sorts of incredible food and drink people such as Mark Bittman, Dana Cowin and now Sandor Ellix Katz at my favorite bookstore on the planet — Powell’s Books. Sandor was in town mid-February for various events on his book tour for the second edition of Wild Fermentation and I was the lucky one who got to spend the night asking him questions in front of a full house in the Powell’s Books Pearl Room. Thank you life.

For those of you who couldn’t make the event I uploaded the audio of it here:

Also, Sandor did some radio and TV segments while in town and you can check out his KATU News AM Northwest spot here and his KBOO Healthwatch show feature here.

Below are bunch of photos from the standing room-only excellent Powell’s event. Thank you Powell’s Books, Sandor and everyone who came out and made the night special.

Full house of Sandor fans and fermentation enthusiasts!

Before the event Sandor served up some of his delicious fermented daikon that he makes every year from a Tennessee neighbor’s cover crop. So generous, so yummy!

Sandor talking about everything from his 55-gallon bourbon barrels that he’s used in the past to ferment vegetables to his recent travels in Asia and all of the ferments that he tried and learned about while there. Photo by Loly LeBlanc.

So cute! And look at all of those beautiful life-changing books. So colorful and inspiring inside and out. Photo by David Barber.

We got through my questions and then opened it up to the audience. When an audience member asked Sandor about the potential spirituality of fermentation he summed it up after thinking about it for a moment as — “unseen forces can be very powerful.” So beautiful and true. Photo by Denise Pasquinelli.

Long line of folks after waited to talk to Sandor and get their 2nd edition of Wild Fermentation signed.

At the very end Dane Fredericks of Powell’s had Sandor and I sign a bunch of books. Such a treat. Such an honor. I am officially the luckiest.

Thank you so very much Sandor & Powell’s! And thanks to everyone who came out for the event.

Purchase the 2nd edition of Wild Fermentation.

Northwest Fresh Seafood, Lentil Underground, Cuvee Weekend

There are three tasty events coming up -- two of which I'm directly involved in -- that I want to tell you about. I also want to acknowledge that I do realize that I haven't done a Yard Fresh installment in far too long. One excuse, over the summer and early fall I got my kitchen remodeled by my amazingly talented friends at St. Johns Design Build (see some photos of my kitchen remodel here!), beyond that life has been full. Anyway, I haven't forgotten about that series and I'll add to it again soon enough. For now, here are some upcoming food/drink events I'm hoping that you might come to and if not that you will help spread the word about. Thanks!

Saturday, March 7 @ 2-6pm at Northwest Fresh Seafood Newberg, Oregon BUBBLES & BOOKS

A month ago Zach Elliott of the Newberg seafood market Northwest Fresh Seafood asked John Gorham and me if we'd come out to the market for a spring food/drink/books event and we agreed right away. John and I are both seafood lovers and always up for a fun excuse to get out to Oregon wine country. The result is an afternoon and evening event hosted by these great folks with oysters, bubbles, signed copies of Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull. AND Food Lover's Guide to Portland, live music by Kent Smith and a Q&A with John and I ALL for $65. I hope you'll come out for it and even if you can't I hope that you might help spread the word. It's going to be great. Tickets are available here.

Monday, March 9 @ 7pm at Powell's Portland, Oregon Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil Underground: Renegade Farmers and the Future of Food in AmericaREADING

Working as a book publicist at Hawthorne Books, and having covered food and food books since 2003, review copies often come my way. They're usually from Chelsea Green, which is one of my favorite publishing houses, but sometimes they're from other publishers -- in this case Gotham Books. Liz Carlisle is coming to Portland mid-March for a reading for her book Lentil Underground and if you care about food as much as I do I think you're going to want to go to this Powell's City of Books reading. I've only begun reading it and I'm inspired by the depth of Carlisle's research into renegade farmers and sustainable agriculture as well as the tenacity of her subjects and their dedication to new ag. business and cropping systems and a sustainable ag. future. GENTLE PORTLAND LENTILS, please pick up a copy of the book and come out for Carlisle's Powell's reading and become a part of the Lentil Underground! If my endorsement isn't enough...

"What does it take to farm sustainably–and make a living? Liz Carlisle tells the engrossing story of the ‘audacity rich, but capital poor’ Montana farmers who thought lentils were the answer and stuck with them until proved right. Anyone who dreams of starting a farm or wants to know how organic farmers can overcome the obstacles they face will be inspired by this book." --Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics and professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.

Look at that fuzzy gentle lentil behind the book! Rubin is my favorite photo bomber.

Saturday, March 21st @ Noon at The Allison Inn & Spa Newberg, Oregon Cuvee Weekend PANEL

In celebration of Women's History Month The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg is hosting an inaugural Cuvee Weekend on the weekend of March 21st. Couples are invited to purchase weekend packages and attend everything from a cooking demo. by Kristen Murray of Portland's Maurice and a 4-course winemakers' dinner with Tamara Murphy of Seattle's Terra Plata to a guided vineyard tour and a panel discussion on women in food on Saturday, the 21st with me, Kristen Murray, Tamara Murphy and Veronica Vaga of Deschutes Brewery. Please help spread the word!

The Allison Inn & Spa rated #1 Hotel Spa in the Continental US by Travel + Leisure.