Please Judge My Book By Its Cover

How do you like that? I'm pretty impressed if I do say so myself. I think the Sasquatch Books crew did an amazing job with the entire design of my book (I'm working on the final proofs at the moment) and I'd like to give a big shout out to cover designer Jessika Merrill.

Other book related news is that FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO PORTLAND comes out as an e-book April 1st, 2010 and as a printed book (yes, they still exist) July 1st, 2010.

You can now pre-order the book from Amazon, Borders, and it's listed in the PGW catalogue with an excerpt for book buyers.

I'll let you know as soon as Sasquatch Books starts pre-sales for my book because I'd love to send you their way.

One more thing on the self-promotion front -- I'm on Twitter now if you're into that chatter...

If you haven't had enough of me already...

Say Cheese: Last Day for Steve's Cheese Feb. 21st, Sneak Peak at Cheese Bar to Open Mid-March

Only the good die young...

but only the great rise again like the phoenix.

Sorry for the cliche overload but it's hard not to wax poetic when discussing Steve Jones' still-open-but-not-for-long Steve's Cheese on NW Thurman and his newest venture Cheese Bar due to open mid-March at 60th and SE Belmont.

I spoke with Steve late last week and here's the scoop...

How would you describe Cheese Bar?

Cheese Bar is a cross between an old world delicatessen and a tabac.

What's a tabac?

In France and Italy both there are these things called tabacs and they're on almost every corner. It's where old men come in in the morning and buy their tobacco -- although we obviously won't be selling tobacco -- and then they'll stand and have a glass of espresso and maybe a croissant. And then in the evening they'll come back and have a glass of grappa and piece of cheese or something.

I've always really liked the social aspect of them. People coming in and out -- and quite often they're in and out in twenty minutes. It's really the only fast option you have in Europe -- everything else takes forever. So it's kind of cool you can get a little bite or boost and keep on moving. That's kind of been my intention with this. If people want to linger they can but Cheese Bar is more for when you're on your way home and you stop and have a glass of beer and a piece of cheese, or a glass of wine and a small bite.

Other differences between Steve's Cheese and Cheese Bar?

I keep telling everyone [Cheese Bar is] everything you've got now [Steve's Cheese] and more. We'll still carry everything including all the meat and cheese but you'll also be able to have a beer while your shopping. That's, you know, my dream moment. To get a beer and then shop for cheese. I mean, hell yeah, that's perfect.

I think if we've got a really long line I'm just going to grab a pitcher of beer and just pour everyone a little glass and say, "Here, have a beer." I used to shop at an old meat shop in St. Louis and no matter what time of day you'd walk in they'd ask -- "Want a bavarian beer?" It's 9:30 in the morning and they'd be offering you a beer..."

Same killer cheese selection at Cheese Bar plus beer and then some

Other things I learned about Cheese Bar:

The small menu will be stocked with sandwiches, soups, salads (such as garbanzo, tuna, and red pepper) snacks (sardines on toast), and hot plates ranging from $2-$10.

Cheese Bar will have the same rocking cheese selection (available in-house or to-go) as Steve's Cheese as well as all the other retail food and drink products such as vinegars, pastas, pickles and more.

There will be in-house beer, wine, and beer and wine cocktails. Curious about the latter -- we shall see.

And the look and feel? Lots of reclaimed wood and reused materials, four tables, two small bars (one standing bar, the other with stools), and a warm color scheme with lots of reds and browns.

I know where I'll be come mid-March.

Cheese Baropens mid-March 503.222.6014 6031 SE Belmont St. 10am-11pm Tue.-Sun.

Dovetail Bakery Open: Extra, Extra!

In December, I wrote about vegan Dovetail Bakery's soon-to-be new retail location on Northeast Alberta Street. Well, they've delivered on their promise -- they're open for business!

This Saturday, February 6th from 5-8pm Dovetail is hosting its grand opening party with snacks, drinks and all sorts of good folks. According to Dovetail owner Morgan Grundstein-Helvey the more the merrier so head on over for some merrymaking and free tasty vegan drinks and snacks this Saturday.

Dovetail Bakery 3039 NE Alberta St. Portland, Oregon 503.288.8839 Hours: Tue.-Sun. 8am-6pm www.dovetailbakery.blogspot.com

**All photos in this post were taken by Morgan's friend KC Tarog on Dovetail Bakery's opening day late January.

Good morning sunshine -- Dovetail's cinnamon rolls

More Dovetail Bakery vegan sweets. Open for business!

Dovetail Bakery vegan scones and muffins

Happy Anniversary Blog: One year and counting

Yep, it's been one whole year of blogging and I thought I'd do a year in the life post of the Food Lover's Guide to Portland blog. I'll start this off with a confession. When Sasquatch Books vice president Sarah Hanson asked me at Wordstock 2008 to start a blog for my book I remember a sinking feeling in my stomach. It wasn't a one too many Manhattans feeling. It was more of an -- I don't want to be a self absorbed, write-ad-nauseam-about-trivial-kitchen-experiments kind of person. I don't want to share my personal life with strangers online. I don't want to bore people, and bore myself to tears. Well, I hope that my initial apprehension has served me well and that I've risen above my fears and provided something truly worthwhile in this endeavor -- nearly 100 posts later. Mostly I hope that I do not, in fact, bore you to tears. If I do -- please move along because what follows is simply a year in review -- ghosts of my blog's past.

My first post revealed my stinky side -- my kimchi habit.

All my kimchi fixings

And I'll have you know that shortly after that batch of kimchi (for which I bought a new mandoline) I sliced off the tip of my right ring finger slicing radishes on it. That's one way to delay the writing of your book by the way.

One of my favorite blog posts was about the April Fool's Voodoo Doughnut wedding that I got to attend. The fact that this was just days after I went to ER for my sliced finger and was hopped up on Vicodin made this weird event even weirder...

Beneath the Cruller Chandelier of Life...

Some other good times researching/writing the book and blogging about it include meeting Earnest and Sumiko Migaki of Jorinji Miso and learning all about their local miso...

I love that we have local, hand crafted, delicious miso in Portland

Talking with Belmont Station and Biercafe co-owner Carl Singmaster about all things beer...

I got to try my first sour beer with this man!

Going on yet another amazing Wild Food Adventure with John Kallas...

This spring I ate wild sorrel, young salmonberry shoots, and stinging nettle thanks to John Kallas of Wild Food Adventures

Volunteering with Oregon Food Bank at its Eastside Learning Garden...

Mid-March harvest of collard greens from OFB Eastside Learning Garden

Taking a Kookoolan Farms cheese class...

I learned how to make ricotta, herbed chevre and more at a Kookoolan Farms cheese class in the spring

And attending Home Orchard Society's All About Fruit Show in the fall...

Thanks to Home Orchard Society experts at the annual All About Fruit Show this fall I found out my ancient backyard apple tree is a Gravenstein

Thanks for reading, thanks for caring.

Here's to another great year!

Eat, drink and be hairy.

Edible Gifts: Love Feed

Even though, yes, my friends and family obviously know that I'm a food nut this year's holidays were exceptional in terms of edible gifts. I mean just look at all of the deliciousness that I got above. I feel the love. And to be honest, there's a lot that was already eaten by the time I got around to taking this photo...

My friend Wendy went all out with edible gifts this year. She gave my boyfriend and I that big, beautiful, ceramic bottle of homemade Jolly Rancher sour apple infused vodka, homemade toffee (didn't make it to the photo...), and all sorts of other treats I won't tell you about because then you'll really think I'm spoiled rotten.

Our friends Steve and Lorna from Humboldt County gave us a dozen of their home cooped chickens' eggs, all that lovely Cypress Grove Chevre straight from the source, homemade blackberry elixir, AND homemade pear brandy.

My brother and sister-in-law gave us all sorts of edible gifts from Cincinnati's Findlay Market (where I'm from -- Cincinnati, not the market of course) including the spicy kimchi and the beautiful box of culinary salts. Our friend Alice and her family gave us herb-infused olive oil, candied almonds (also gone before the photo), balsamic vinegar, and sparkling sake.

So I guess I'm a braggart. I can't help it -- had to share.

And what about me this year -- what did I cook up as gifts? Nada. I know, it's pathetic. The holidays hit my on the head this year and practically knocked me out. I was working and writing and then whamo. Well, I bought lots of edible gifts -- I know, not the same. But locally smoked salmon, local hazelnuts, and slow cookers from Kitchen Kaboodle aren't too shabby. I'll be better next year. I'll get back to my homemade mustard, tea blends, hot sauce, blackberry jam and then some making ways.

What edible gifts that you gave/received this year stood out? I'd love to hear about them...

EaT Oyster Bar: Mardi Gras Mayhem and King Cake Babies

Several years ago a baby was born. A little pink plastic king cake baby.

I can't remember how I got the baby but I'm guessing from my friend Loly who's from Lafayette, Louisiana. I'd never heard of king cakes until I met Loly. I kept the baby on my windowsill for a year or so with all the other knick knacks that reside there -- figurines, shot glasses, a corn cob pipe, a couple shells. It fit right in until one day I kidnapped the baby from its comfortable home.

I was making postickers for New Year's Eve and decided to put the king cake baby in one. Whoever bit into the potsticker with him in it (or her -- it's hard to tell) would be on track for a very fortunate year. Don't worry, I warned everyone not to bite too hard. My friend Chris got the baby that year. One of the only times when it is ok -- in fact your encouraged -- to bite a baby.

Shrimp, cabbage and mushroom potstickers.

So I've done this a few times since. It's a great tradition -- an every couple of years tradition.

This all leads me to Mardi Gras. King cakes and Mardi Gras...

One of my favorite North Portland restaurants has some fantastic Mardi Gras action this year that you might want to check out. Here's the scoop straight from the source: EaT Oyster Bar is hosting a big Mardi Gras party as well as lots of events during the entire week leading up to Fat Tuesday.

Bon Ton Roulet is playing live on February 13th for EaT's Crawfish Boil, which starts at 1:30pm and goes until they run out. There will be king cakes, traditional beads and doubloons along with a Grand Mardi Gras Dress-up Ball on Fat Tuesday February 16th. Festivities start at 11:30am and go all night with live music, cajun specialties and the crowning of the Mardi Gras King and Queen of Portland. Check out the website for a schedule closer to the day of the event.

EaT Oyster Bar www.eatoysterbar.com

Oregon Tilth's 2010 Gardening Classes

No, this post isn't about how my boyfriend constructed an awesome two-stage compost set-up in our backyard. I just thought it'd be a good segue into a post all about Portland gardening classes.

In 2008 I had the pleasure of taking several classes via the local Organic Gardening Certification Program with various Oregon Tilth teachers (and lots of other knowledgeable folks) and I learned so much. We all did. A couple weeks ago I got word from Kathy Dang, Oregon Tilth Organic Education Center program manager, that Oregon Tilth has doubled its classes this year and added new ones for beginning and advanced gardeners.

Classes are diverse in terms of topics covered, cost, and location. Here are some highlights from Oregon Tilth's 2010 class program. Visit the Oregon Tilth website for more information. Tilth Toolshed Series: Plan, Sow, Plant! Our practical 3-class series offered in partnership with the City of Portland's Urban Growth Bounty gardening initiative. Take each class separately or together as a series. Read More… Four-Season Vegetable Gardening Series Another series offered in partnership with the City of Portland's Urban Growth Bounty Initiative. Come find out how to encourage a bountiful harvest from your garden every season of the year! Read More… Tilth Toolshed Series at Luscher Farm The Tilth Toolshed Series: Plan, Sow, Plant! is being offered at second time at our demonstration garden at Luscher Farm. Come discover simple techniques for getting your garden started and increase your urban bounty this season! Read More… Comprehensive Organic Gardener Program The curriculum merges scientific and practical information, emphasizing hands-on practice. This unique and popular course introduces beginning gardeners to the dynamic world of organic gardening and gets their hands dirty in the process! March 4th - 25th! Read More…

Organic Gardening Certificate Program In partnership with Oregon State University, Oregon Tilth offers a program similar in size and scope to the OSU Master Gardener program, with an organic gardening focus. Read More… Urban Gardener Series Offered in partnership with the City of Portland's Urban Growth Bounty initiative, Oregon Tilth's Urban Gardener Series equips city gardeners with the tools necessary to farm our urban landscape. Read More…

In an Oregon Tilth class you might even learn how to plant kiwi vines that attract white fluffy dogs.

Oregon Tilth www.tilth.org

Fremont Tangerines: New Seasons Markets

In recent years my relationship with citrus has grown. Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and then some. I've always loved citrus -- from quartered oranges at half time during elementary school soccer, to childhood morning's eating halved grapefruit topped with a generous pour of sugar, to fresh squeezed lemonade when lucky in the summer growing up.

What's changed in recent years is that I don't just appreciated citrus solo as in a slice of orange or a segment of tangerine -- I appreciate it as an accent, a bright contrast to everything from soups and salads, to pastas and marinades. A generous squeeze here, a bit of zest there.

Below is visual evidence of my evolving relationship. It happened around the time I found the beautiful piece of heavy aluminum kitchen equipment on the left of this photo at an estate sale. I'd been looking for one of these citrus juicers for some time because we grew up with one and it worked wonders come lemonade time as a kid. A few months after I found it, my brother and his wife bought me the new orange one. And then just weeks later I found the old stand up citrus juicer (good luck comes in threes) at a thrift store. I juice citrus so frequently now that three is indeed better than one. Do my dishes?

The long limbs and beauty of synchronized juicing.

Anyhow, my original train of thought with this post was this:

A couple weekends ago when New Seasons Market hosted a front-of-the-store Saturday and Sunday citrus tasting I was very happy. I tried a bunch of citrus that I'd never tried before.

The best of the batch that I tried -- the tiny but oh-so-full-of-flavor Fremont tangerines. Wow -- if you haven't tried them and you love tangerines even a quarter as much as I do you better get your heinie over to New Seasons and grab a few.

They've brought me back to wanting citrus and only citrus -- no accouterments.

I think you're going to like these.

Never Cry Wolf

I need to take a little hiatus from the blog this week for personal reasons and just want to let you know that I'll be back next week. Don't you worry about me -- I'll be back before you know it.

Eat, drink and be hairy!

White Pine Products: Kinda Nutty

A couple years ago I wrote a story about locally grown horseradish (wasabi grows in the Pacific Northwest too by the way) and for that I interviewed the Krizos in the Klamath Basin. It was a really interesting story to research and then I didn't talk with the Krizos for a couple years.

A few weeks ago I got to see the working cover design for my bookFood Lover's Guide to Portland. I love it and I should because I took all of the cover photos except one -- the one of the Krizos' harvest truck.

So I got to check in with them about this agricultural shot of their truck filled to the brim with horseradish. They gave the green light and that opened up the dialogue. A couple weeks later I heard from their son -- Ira Krizo -- who lives in town and runs a thriving local, wholesale food business -- White Pine Products. Ira provided the recipe to go with that seasonal horseradish story in 2007 -- horseradish crusted filet mignon with a blue cheese cream sauce.

In 2007 Ira's all-natural (some organic) White Pine Products -- granolas, candied nuts, pancake mixes, and more -- were only in a few stores. Since then WPP has grown and diversified. You can now find White Pine Products in local Whole Foods Markets, Market of Choice stores, and other food and drink shops around town.

The past few weeks I've been lucky enough to sample several White Pine Products and here are a few of the tasty treats I've enjoyed as a result...

Caramalized onion, feta, white wine and spinach spaghetti topped with candied pecans.

Butter lettuce, bacon, egg, and maple spice hazelnut salad with a miso lime vinaigrette.

As you can see from the photo below there's a lot more to White Pine Products than spiced nuts (Although WPP's are so fresh and perfectly spiced they takes spiced nuts to a whole new level.) I'll let you know how the pancake mixes, granola and muesli are next time...

White Pine Products line-up.

White Pine Products 503.794.4083 www.whitepine.usWPP online store