Weekend Roundup

 

Some strong coffee from Trailhead roasters was in order this weekend, as it was a busy one. Aside from a few lazy breakfasts, I was on the go, starting my apprenticeship/in'curd'ship/mini-monger-in-training program with Cheese & Crack food cart, getting ready for the upcoming holidays, and spending an afternoon at the art museum.

 

 

 

Challah bread french toast, soaked in egg, almond milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and citrus zest.

 

Behind the scenes at Cheese & Crack! Ladling up some cheddar broccoli soup with rainbow chard, topped with Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds.

 

We made a batch of rosemary & parmesan savory oatmeal cookies. I hope to take the training wheels off and try a batch of my own during the holidays!

 

 

 

 

Catering order for an afternoon event

 

House marinated Wisconsin curds

Cloud cap from cascadia creamery, atop a savory oatmeal cookie with a smear of apple butter (cut it out!!)

Bruleed brie and butter crackers.

My take home plate, also featuring cana de oveja, pickled roasted garlic and hazelnut chocolate ganache.

 

Morning breakfast and snug.

 

Samurai exhibit at the Portland art museum! The attention to detail was truly remarkable.

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Soups On: Roasted Garlic Tomato

Now that it is getting dark at about 4:30, it is starting to feel like winter is officially upon us! A part of me finds the nighttime slick and shiny streets of Portland sort of romantic. The other part of me feels suicidal until June. Either way, soup is in order, and a hearty bowl at that.

 

 

Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup from Veganomicon

 

Post-soup, I settled in with some homemade chai tea. I simmered orange peel, star anise, coriander seed, cinnamon stick, peppercorn, fresh ginger and cardamom pod for 40 minutes, then steeped black tea for about 6 minutes. This makes a concentrate, so I mixed half a cup of chai and the rest hot water and coconut milk.

This hit the spot on a cool night and made my apartment smell amazing. Now, currently on the hunt for a chai tea candle.

weeknight eats: lentil and kale 'taco' salad with pico de gallo

 

Season lentils with chile in adobo, onion, garlic, cumin, lime, smoked paprika and tomato paste for a veggie take on taco salad.

The 14 Mile Tour

When it is predicted to be 70 and sunny on an October weekend in Portland, there is only one thing a girl can do to prepare. Eat a healthy meal on Friday night, hydrate, hop on your bike Saturday, close your eyes and hope for the best!

 

I made a kale caesar on Friday evening with a simple dressing consisting of lemon juice, anchovy paste, minced garlic, egg yolk and olive oil. It is what I grew up helping my mom make. She would rub the garlic cloves along the inside of her gigantic wooden bowl until they disintegrated into its curves, and I would quickly whisk the dressing as fast as my little wrist would allow as she drizzled in the olive oil. I think of her and smile whenever I make it. I think they call that a food memory. :)

 

The following day, Nate and I cruised up to Northeast Portland for a tour de feast of a few spots I have been meaning to try, but haven't yet been able to pull myself up by the bootstraps and make the treck. First stop: The Cheese Plate!

Such a beautiful thing! Goat cheeses, aged cheddar and smokey bleu aside homemade crackers, cranberry compote and pickled green beans.

 

Yes, I know there is goat cheese all over my fingers

 

Goat cheese truffle! Sort of like chocolate cheesecake on steroids - but mini size.

Roasted pumpkin, fried sage and goat cheese grilled cheese. All of the selections were amazing but needless to say I had had enough goat cheese at this point and needed to wet thy whistle.

Onward to Breakside! One of my new favorite breweries in Portland. I tried the Sour Newton, a  tart amber ale made honey and black mission figs and the Vienna Coffee Bier made with Roseline coldpress coffee. I love coffee notes in beer, but it was refreshing to have a lighter ale vs. the stouts and porters that I am used to. Perfect for a sunny afternoon!

Onward to Saraveza, for their 5th birthday extravaganza. We sampled a few vintage beers and tried their house chex mix. The owners are from Wisconsin, so you know they dont play when it comes to chex mix.

Hmm...the chex mix or the pastie...

 

Because I obviously hadn't eaten enough yet, we nightcruised over to Chez Dodo, a Mauritian food truck in NoPo and probably one of my new favorites. The lamb samosas above where the size of your head and oh-so-awesome.

Sunday. The cool down. Trucked over to Portland Nursery for their annual apple celebration. I had never seen so many varieties in my life. We settled on some Swiss Gourmet, a hybrid between the Golden Delicious and Ida Red, amongst a few others. Oh and some apple strudel. And a la mode.

 

Hope everyone has a lovely week!

Weekend in Leavenworth + Peppers

view from our balcony

This weekend I crept one year closer to death. To cope with a few pints, some friends and I drove up to the sleepy town of Leavenworth, WA for their Oktoberfest celebration. Themed towns always provide for a hokey atmosphere I can vibe with, and lots of great people watching. The trees were turning on the mountainside which made for a beautiful setting to grip and sip.

leavenworth in all it's glory!

icicle brewing co.

goats and sheep

pedro scarecrow

fall cutie

Cant be faux-german without ordering a litre.

kielbasa and kraut! W.W.G.D?

you have to have a pretzel with beer in a german town - duh!

pretzstache

morning clouds

On the way home, we stopped at an awesome farm stand in Washington. Melon, Asian pear, apples, peppers and chiles, zucchini - all for a few bucks! My new abundance of peppers inspired my weeknight meal below.

 

Bulgar wheat stuffed peppers with corn and black beans

 

I am really getting into bulgar lately. It is great in salads, stuffings and for a quick breakfast cereal. Not to mention that it is cheap, great for you, and by far the easiest grain to prepare. Just boil hot water or broth, pour over top, and allow the bulgar to sit covered until it puffs up to your likeness - about 20-30 minutes. Pretty much foolproof!

Weekend Roundup

The sun reappeared in the pacific nw this weekend, which meant lots of roaming. In short, the best thing I ate this weekend: a carnitas torta from guero. Fresh, savory and perfect for pairing with a sampling from the beer cart next door, captured by porches.

 

The worst: trader joes spicy black bean dip. I'm not really much of a trader joes shopper (what is with all of the prepackaged, individually wrapped produce?) but this stuff was awful. Never again.

 

A few snaps from the weekend.

 

Sunny morning coffee at Oblique, my favorite neighborhood roaster

 

Downed fresh hop pints at Imperial Bottle Shop after a bike ride

Dumpster cookies. (basic cookie recipe + all little random bits in my pantry. cranberries, various chips, oats, almonds etc.)

Sunday pizza nite! Mushroom, bleu cheese, spinach and green olive

Corn, smoked mozzerella and chard chimichurri

Happy Monday!