Blog Day 2006

While clicking around the blogosphere I discovered today, Aug. 31st, is Blog Day. In joining with the event, here's my list of five—all food blogs, by the way.

These blogs told me about Blog Day.

1. Confessions of a Cardamom Addict by Jasmine from Canada. As she says, "just someone who enjoys the pleasure of food"—I can relate to that.
2. The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz by Paz from New York City, "Culinary Tales of a Novice Amateur Cook"—we all can learn.
3. Kitchen Wench from Melbourne, Australia. She wrote 100 things about herself.

Plus 2 more, although I discovered many others.

4. Bread and butter from Greece—a country I want to visit.
5. Farmgirl Fare by Farmgirl in Missouri. I'm a city 'n suburb girl, so it's all new to me.


Blog Day Site
Tag: BlogDay2006

Growing Wild

You gotta luv a state that has blackberries growin' wild on the side of the road and you're free to pick 'em if you can deal with thorns. Rock on Oregon.

Baking on Vacation

I also did some baking while in Portland. I made two quick breads from zucchinis and figs I collected from the garden.

Zucchini Bread

2 cups zucchini, shredded
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1⁄2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 1⁄2 cups flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans.)

Preheat oven to 350º degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients until blended. Mix dry ingredients together and then add to the first mixture until incorporated. Then fold in nuts. Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out dry.

I got the recipe from someone, who got it from someone, who got it from her sister, who got it from Florence F.—the name scrawled next to the recipe.

For the fig bread, I used the same recipe, substituting figs for zucchinis (obviously) and adding a couple more spices—cloves and nutmeg. I also baked the mixture twice as long.

Fig Bread

2 cups fresh figs, chopped
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 1⁄2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I used a variety of mixed nuts.)

Preheat oven to 350º degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients until blended. Mix dry ingredients together and then add to the first mixture until incorporated. Then fold in nuts. Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Lunch w/ Dad @ Nostrana

My love of pizza has remained undiminished since childhood, although my palate for it has grown from the neighborhood Pizza Hut to the traditional form from Italy with a special place in my heart for good New York pie.

Nostrana popped on my radar when my dad mentioned a "new Italian restaurant in Portland"—we both like Italian food, although he's more a pasta man. A quick Internet search revealed its specialty, pizza, and the kudos all around—The Oregonian named it 2006 Restaurant of the Year. I was intrigued, and my dad was interested, too. So, we made date for a belated Father’s Day lunch

We warmed up with a plate of assorted Fra Mani salami. The cured meats with their pepper seasonings perked up my appetite. I also had a bowl of zucchini soup that I could have passed on—and did, literally, to my dad. It lacked any flavor to distinguished it from other vegetable soups, and wasn't served warm enough for my liking.

The house made fettuccine with basil pesto, green beans, and potato came out next. It was a simple dish, but done very well. The flavors were distinct and clear—fruity olive oil, fresh basil, mild garlic—and the pasta a perfect al-dente.

Once the pasta was finsihed, we waited several minutes for the star of our meal to arrive. There was a mistake with our pizza and the kitchen needed a redo according to the waiter. But, it was still impressive when it made its appearance at the table—Funghi pizze, shitake mushrooms with house made bacon and fontina Val d'Aosta and Parmigino cheeses. The toppings were piled on, battling each other for real estate on the pizza, and the dough was well charred and smoky. Some may prefer a thinner, crisper crust, but I enjoyed the chew and give in the bread. The mushrooms brought an earthy quality to the pizza that was deepened by the briny, thick-cut bacon; and it was all connected with wonderfully melted cheese, warm and gooey. I was cutting pieces with my knife and fork, but soon dispense with my manners and picked up the slice with my fingers and ate with my bare teeth. Good pizza, like any good food, deserves the respect from you to dig in and eat it with relish.




Then it was on to desert. The peach gelato with saba was a disappointment. It was so icy that I wonder if it was misprinted and meant to be sorbetto. But even that label wouldn't have passed muster; its texture was too coarse to be pleasant in any form, regardless of cream content. On the other hand, the yogurt panna cotta with blackberry sauce was pure pleasure. My mouth swooned enjoying its silky, smooth texture. It was love at first bite and rapture by the last.

A couple days later, my dad asked me what I really thought of the place. I told him I liked the pizza and might go back again just for that, but it won’t be added to my regular Portland-area dining destinations. But half of eating is whom you eat with. The time spent with my dad is what I'll remember about my meal at Nostrana just as much as the food.

(My) Go To Chinese in Portland

In my humble opinion, the best wonton noodle soup (pic. left) west of the Mississippi—or, at least, my favorite bowl—is found at Good Taste. I get it with roast duck when I'm extra hungry.

And I never miss an opportunity to go to Jin Wah for steamed fish and Dungeness crab. Their quality has not wavered all the years I've been eating there and their prices for whole seafood continue to be a bargain when compared to Chinese restaurants in LA. They also have the fastest of service of any Chinese restaurant I've ever been to, including those in big cities like San Francisco, New York, and Toronto. The plates come out steaming hot mere minutes after you order the food.




Pics. Top left, clock-wise
Fish Maw Soup, Steamed Whole Fish, Sautéed String Beans (background) and Sautéed Chinese Broccoli (foreground), and Dungeness crab with Ginger and Scallions.

Good Taste
18 NW 4th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
(503)223-3838
They also have a second location in Portland where I ate this time for convenience, but I think 4th Ave., in Chinatown, is nominally better and would recommend going there first.

Jin Wah
8001 SE Powell Blvd., Ste P
Portland, OR 97206
(503)788-3113

Fruit Salad Days

I've been on a fruit salad kick, lately. I make a large bowl, put it in the fridge, and eat it over a few days. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar for a healthy desert; otherwise, I enjoy it plain, as nature intended. Summer chopped up and tossed in a bowl—get it while the season lasts!

Fruit Salad I: Plums & Plouts

2 Dapple Dandy Plouts
3 Red Plums
5 Italian Prune Plums

Wash fruit in water and cut into equal, bite-size pieces. Put into a bowl, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top (to prevent oxidation of the fruit), and toss. Serve or refrigerate for later.

Fruit Salad II: Peaches, Plums, Plouts, & Blackberries

2 Large Yellow Peaches
1 Dapple Dandy Plout
1 Flavor Safari Plout
Handful of Blackberries

Wash fruit in water and cut into equal, bite-size pieces. Put into a bowl, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top (to prevent oxidation of the fruit), and toss. Sprinkle blackberries on top and serve or refrigerate for later.

Seattle Time

I took a day trip to Seattle. It was a brief visit, but I saw two of the city's highlights—Pike Place Market and the Central Library.

My day started with breakfast at Le Panier in Pike Place Market. I enjoyed a lovely raspberry-filled croissant and dry cappuccino. Then I strolled around the Market where my eyes feasted on plump berries that begged to be eaten and fish so fresh they looked like they could swim if thrown back in the water.





Pike Place Chowder was my lunch choice, although I wished I had the time and super stomach to try variety of seafood—fried fish, steamed clams, raw oysters etc.... I love clam chowder, and when it’s the “Nations Best” the temptation to try it and judge for myself is too much to resist. For the record, it lived up to its top award—chock full of clams, and wonderfully thick and creamy like good chowder should be. I also had the market chowder—crab, oysters, chorizo, and leeks in a shellfish stock—that, truth be told, was my personal favorite.



I’ve wanted to visit the Central Library since it was completed 2 years ago. It is an amazing structure—a must-see if you're a fan of architecture and still worth a look, if not. And the fact it holds millions of book makes it even more exciting for those, like me, who love books, as well as buildings. It's an inspirational and awe inspiring space, inside and out, in form and function.

Le Panier
1902 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)441-3669
www.lepanier.com

Pike Place Chowder
1530 Post Alley
(206)267-2537
www.pikeplacechowder.com

Central Library
4000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
(206)386-4636

Garden Raid

My dad has a garden. It's a wondrous place with little discoveries tucked amid vines and hidden among leaves.

One evening I raided its bounty to make soup. My vegetable soup is an improvised creation that changes every time I make it, depending on what's in the fridge and pantry—or in this case, what was ready for picking in the patch.

The recipe lists the contents of the pot and documents what I was doing in the kitchen one night, one week ago. It's a guide to making soup, but not necessarily instructions to follow again. Although the result was very tasty—everyone at dinner agreed—I can't duplicate it, nor would I always want to.

Each pot of soup is unique and an adventure at the stove. It's about giving yourself the freedom to create in the kitchen—and in life, for that matter, too.

"Kitchen Sink" Garden Vegetable Soup

1 large yellow squash, cut into bite-size cubes
2 large crookneck squash, cut into bite-size cubes
2 large zucchini, cut into bite-size cubes
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from the cobs
2 red tomatoes cut into quarters and then halves
2 yellow tomatoes cut into quarters and then halves
1 handful of string beans (I grabbed 8 to 10.)
8 shallots, diced (I was using them in place of onions.)
3 heads of garlic (They were tiny heads probably equal to 1/2 a head of a large clove.)
2 bundles of fresh herbs (My bundles included sprigs of rosemary, oregano, thyme, and marjoram)
2 cans of vegetable stock
2 cubes of vegetable bouillon
6 cups of water
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 generous pour of olive oil to coat the pot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a large pot with olive oil. Add shallots and garlic, sauté. Add vegetables and continue to sauté until they soften. Salt and pepper to taste, but know the stock and bouillon also contains sodium. Pour in stock and water and thrown in the bouillon. Add the beans and herbs. Bring everything to a boil and continue to boil until the flavors come together and the kitchen smells great! Serve hot in large bowls and garnish with garlic basil pesto—my ad-lib recipe is below. And I like eating the soup with good, crusty bread.

Garlic Basil Pesto

1 bunch of fresh basil
1/2 a head of garlic (I used 1 small head of garlic.)
Extra virgin oil to emulsify
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Throw everything into the food processor and pulse to a coarse consistency. (I loss control of the processor, so mine came out more purée-like.)

Making Preserves from Figs

I'd never canned before, but when I found myself with more fresh figs then I could eat, it was a good time to try. If life gives you a bowl of figs make fig preserves!

Spiced Fig Preserves

½ lemon (unpeeled), thickly sliced, seeded
1 ½ lbs. fresh rip figs, halved (about 4 cups)
2 ¼ cups sugar
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 ¼ teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Finely chop lemon in processor. Add figs. Using on/off turns, process until figs are coarsely pureed. Transfer mixture to heavy large saucepan. Add 2 ¼ cups sugar, cinnamon stick, 2 ¼ teaspoons minced ginger and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. Simmer until mixture thickens to jam consistency and candy thermometer registers 200º F, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. Divide hot preserves among hot clean jars. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 months. Makes about 3 ½ cups.

Bon Appetit
October 1998
Epicurious.com, Conde Net, Inc.

My notes
The preserve was sweet, but not sugary, and pleasantly spiced for my taste. I spread it on buttered toast—my new snack at the moment. I added an additional 1/2-cup of figs, but, otherwise, I stuck to the recipe. I also didn't have a candy thermometer, so my simmer 'til thicken thing was done by time and sight, which worked fine. I got 4 jars and a little extra.

First Meal

My first meal in Portland was a home cooked bowl of Penang Laksa. It was dinner after being picked up from the airport.

A spicy, curry-like soup poured over noodles, tofu, and bean sprouts; and garnished with cucumbers. A stimulating combination of hot and sour—and a great to start my vacation.

F is for Figs, Fabulous Fresh Figs

There are few pleasures in this world as delightful as eating a soft, ripe fig that you picked off a tree. It is like being kissed, slowly, gently, and deeply.

My father’s fig trees were bearing fruit while I was visiting.

Brown Turkey Fig
The fig was happily eaten soon after this picture was taken.

Lattarula Figs in Bowl
These figs were made into preserves a few days later.

Lattarula Fig Triptych