Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe

June 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Of all the seafood, I love lobster the most. There is a lot of sweet meat inside for the effort (unlike say crab) for me to use as a vehicle essentially for butter. Second place then goes to shrimp rather than crab because the ease of getting to shrimp meat, even though I have to eat more of them, makes it easy to enjoy without a lot of work.

Maybe I’m still bitter about the time I was eating crab and wondered why the red sauce was so watery on the plate and then realized even in death, a crab had fought back and cut me. And then that’s how I also learned, after wearing a bandage for a couple days, that I’m allergic to latex. It made sense in retrospect why I always hated the smell of Halloween/latex even before I had this knowledge.

My favorite way of having shrimp is via shrimp scampi. The second way is poached in butter, so really it’s still the same way… swimming in butter, the second most natural place for seafood to be besides in its home origin of water.
Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier

But, there is a way I can make it at home that doesn’t use a whole stick of butter. Instead it relies on just enough butter to add the flavor and help from panko and garlic.

Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1 pound of fresh raw shrimp deveined and peeled. Your choice on whether to cook with the tails so you have something to hold, or remove them before you cook.
  • 2 tablespoons of melted butter
  • 1/2 a lemon: you will be using the juice from 1/2 a lemon plus 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 cup of panko
  • 1/2 cup of grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley

Directions:

  1. On the stovetop, saute the minced shallot until it is a little crispy. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, lemon juice, garlic, , shallot, salt and pepper. Pour into your baking dish (thanks Debbie! I use this gift all the time!) and arrange the shrimp so they are a single layer. I suppose you don’t really have to do this, but I do in order to get all the shrimpies to get the topping next…
    Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and lemon zest enough to blend and spoon onto each and every shrimp in your baking dish. Sprinkle on top the paprika, and then the panko, Parmesan and parsley.
    Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier
  4. Bake in the oven until the shrimp are pink, and the Parmesan has browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier
After this, you can eat this over brown rice or quinoa, or plain by itself with maybe a chilled glass of white wine?!

What is your favorite kind of seafood?

 

 

 

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Portland Fruit Beer Festival Beer Preview

June 5, 2014 by 2 Comments

This is it! It is the countdown to the Portland Fruit Beer Festival– which kicks off this Saturday, June 6 11am-9pm until the end of Sunday, June 7 11am-6pm. Tickets are already on sale at $20 general admission Saturday or Sunday (the admission includes one 16oz glass you keep and 12 drink tickets). This is an all ages festival.

As I’ve summarized before in my June roundup of Portland events, this unique beer festival features almost 50 fruit beers and ciders, with many beers/ciders have been brewed specifically for the Fruit Beer Festival so this may be your only chance to try them.

Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2014 poster

Well, technically it starts with a special VIP session they are holding on Friday evening, which for $30 (only $10 more than the regular admission on Sat/Sun) from 4-9pm and limited to 300 VIP guests you get access to the fruit beers without everyone else (or less of them, a lot less of them in the way!), and there will also be a few special tappings (4 of the 26 beers are tapped especially for Friday).

The fruits featured are a wide range of fruits: you can see the list here at New School which has descriptions with the beer. There is also another special list of 25 Rare Rotating Tap list of one-off or vintage kegs of just 5 gallons each, and some are listed with the tentative times they will be tapped so you can make your drinking plans now.

Because you do that right? You look over the list of beers for a festival and start noting which ones you want to try, which ones you really really want to try, and then when you attend the festival get in line for the beers in that order to make sure it doesn’t run out and you aren’t disappointed?

And maybe if you have fellow drinking partners, you plan out a drinking strategy so no one is getting 2 of the same beer and you can each wait in different lines and come back and share tastes for most efficient tastings? Right?

I nearly fell out of my chair when I was reading my email and saw I was invited to a media preview of some of the beers that will be tapping at the Portland Fruit Beer Festival by Ezra/Samurai Artist (Ezra Johnson-Greenough), the king of the Portland Fruit Beer Festival. Well, I don’t know if king is the official title, but he does organize the whole thing. He seems to be doing double duty by modeling a PDX Beer Week T shirt also here.
Samurai Artist aka Ezra Johnson-Greenough kicking off the event and already wearing a PDX Beer Week shirt at the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview with sneak peeks of 10 of the beers

I do drink a lot of beer (well of everything- I like to say I don’t discriminate/yearn to be learn and enjoy all deliciousness). Ok, mom, don’t worry, I take that back. I don’t drink a lot, but I have tried a large variety, maybe once twice a week, and maybe Bailey’s Taproom/Upper Lip is like my Cheers.  But I don’t blog much about it, as there are much better beer writers out there, including official media source The Beer Here at the Oregonian and  already mentioned The New School (which are my main sources for beer news) and then for more personal stories of beer rather then just event announcement I often read Beer Musings from Portland by Kris (who also sometimes writes for Oregon Beer Growler).

I was shocked that I would try to fit into such beer expert company.

Thankfully, I was able to pull in another contributor to this blogpost… a beer know it all who also works at Deschutes and Bailey’s/UL Ryan Spencer, who also sometimes contributes to Serious Eats and apparently Cicerone. So official beer expert. Thanks so much Ryan for helping me out with this, especially as I already had tickets to see a show that night and had to leave a little early.

As part of the media event, Ezra and some brewers let us taste 10 of the beers that would be at the Portland Fruit Beer Festival. It felt to me like a secret meeting as we stood around in the back of Burnside Brewing drinking out of plastic cups as the beers were poured from growlers. Each brewer talked a little about the beer and maybe the inspiration for it while inevitably shuffling their feet or other nervous tics which made for terrible pics so I eventually gave up. But I got a few pics of the first few brewers, heh! There was no place to set the cup down (except for the floor) in this secret beer meeting so I don’t have any pics of the beer, except in the brewer’s hand.
Bryan Keilty from Lompoc Brewing explains Lompoc Brewing's Pear'n Kramer sourced their pears for this brew from the backyard of someone's mom! Burnside Brewing Nero's Fiddle uses a proprietary blend of apples, one of them being a Roman Beauty that inspired the name Nero, at the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview with sneak peeks of 10 of the beers

Some Tasting Notes

So here are our notes of the Portland Fruit Beer Festival Beer Preview tasters we tried, ranking in order of fruit beer love.

  1. Citrus Royale from The Commons Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: American Sour ABV: 5.8% ABV IBU: 11
    A sour spelt based beer with Navel Orange, Murcott Mandarin, Meyer Lemon peel and orange and lime juice. One of the most exciting beers at the preview and one to look out for is The Common’s Citrus Royale. This beer is a variant of The Common’s Biere Royale released last year, but with a variety of citrus fruits rather than currants. While retaining the same base beer and “house” lacto culture acquired from Nancy’s Yogurt as last year, the sourness and fruit character are restrained in comparison; allowing for the base beer to shine through with pleasant citrus undertones. The citrus character is derived from a blend of naval orange, meyer lemon, mercott mandarin juice added throughout fermentation creating a flavor profile reminiscent of a mimosa.
  2. Mayme B from Alameda Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: Belgian Dark Golden 6.6% ABV 45 IBU’s
    The Mayme B is a Belgian Dark Golden bier brewed with Mamey fruit (Pouteria sapota). This tropical fruit native to the Caribbean and Central America has a flavor which could be described as a mix of sweet potato and pumpkin topped off with maraschino cherry and almond twist… or at least that’s what the brewer said. I didn’t detect the cherry, but the sweet potato, pumpkin, and hint of almond I was able to detect, and it gave it a bit of “chewiness” that I really liked. Meanwhile the rest of us were just like “what… what is this fruit?” And he’s like “It’s like a football but like a papaya” and probably formed his hands to make a football shape three times. Apparently he discovered this fruit while on his honeymoon in Mexico, but he was able to source the fruit from Florida, but I don’t think he’ll be doing a lot more of these so get it while it lasts! The 100 pounds of mamey was added post boil in the kettle and also post fermentation, along with Belgian Pilsner malt, Special B, and the Belgian yeast (he apparently really like this yeast, as it’s the 3rd beer he’s brewed with it). For a fruit beer, this was completely unexpected and unique which is why I gave it bonus points for originality and creativity as well as the taste.
    "The
    The size of a Mamey fruit as described by the Alameda brewer at the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview
  3. Peach Slap, from Deschutes Brewery – Portland, OR
    Style: Sour Ale with Peaches ABV: 3.2% IBU: 22
    Peach Slap is a crisp light Belgian ale that starts light, gets a little complexity with his love of gin gimlets and so he added a floral quality with the addition of juniper berries and peppercorn. And then, along with peach puree, there’s the surprise heat thanks to peach habanero syrup. The base beer is light but bubbly and sweet like drinking a sparkling berlinerweisse so is super tasty. This is also a top pick for me and is sure to be a crowd pleaser, though some might complain it leans more towards soda than beer (in fact, before the peach habanero the brewer worried it was like liquid fruit roll up but with the syrup at least it was more like soda), but that wouldn’t be me, and then I’ll just drink your glass for you, thanks.
    Telling us about his love/inspiration of gin gimlets and the use of peach habanero syrup in the Deschutes Brewery Peach Slap Sour Ale with Peaches, at the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview with sneak peeks of 10 of the beers
    Telling us about his love/inspiration of gin gimlets and the use of peach habanero syrup in the Deschutes Brewery Peach Slap Sour Ale with Peaches
  4. Aren’t You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana? from Laurelwood Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: Citrus Wheat Ale ABV: 4.4 IBU:14
    Another beer to look out for at the festival will be Laurelwood’s Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana. Drawing inspiration from both Laurelwood’s year round hefeweizen and Brewmasters Vasili Glestsos’s son’s love of knock-knock jokes, this beer is another citrus bomb that emphasizes pithy/rind flavors rather than juice. Laurelwood added 12 gallons of juice and over 6lbs of citrus zest from a myriad of fruits including oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. The fruit flavor is supported by a prominent wheat character derived from the same base beer used to make laurelwood’s hefeweizen, the only difference being the fruit addition and the use of wit yeast versus hefe yeast.
  5. Boysen The Hood from Gigantic Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: Golden Tart Boysen Belgian ABV: 6.4 IBU: 19
    This year Gigantic Brewing was one of a few breweries smart enough to brew a beer which met the requirements for both Cheers to Belgian Beers and The Fruit Beer Fest. Boysen The Hood is a basic Belgian golden ale brewed with pilsner and wheat malts. However, this beer deviates from the norm in that it was kettle soured for 24 hours and then aged on fresh Oregon boysenberries. The result is an easy drinking light Belgian ale with notes of blackberries and strawberries reminiscent of a Berliner weisse.
  6. Lacerta Frambuesa from Ecliptic Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: Belgian Framboise ABV: 6.5 IBU: 20
    Lacerta is the lizard constellation, as brewer John Harris has a constellation theme going. He was also quick to note this is not a framboise, it’s a frambuesa. So pay attention and get it right! The base beer is a light ale made in the Aztec style then infused with Cocoa Nibs in the mash and at fermentation 100 pounds of raspberries were added.The Cocoa nibs definitely add an unusual additional flavor. Although this beer will debut at the Portland Fruit Beer Festival, John made enough that we may see it at his brewery sometime after.

    Brewer John Harris of Ecliptic explaining this is not a framboise, it is a frambuesa beer, that he brewed 
  7. Up From San Antone from Widmer Brothers/5 Stones Artisan Brewery – Portland, OR + Cibolo, Texas
    Style: Grapefruit White IPA ABV: 6.6% IBU: 55
    The Widmer/5 Stones collaboration beer is the second beer in a series of collaboration beers Widmer plans to release throughout the year. This collaboration is with 5 Stones, a small brewery in Texas that specializes in brewing with fresh produce and non-traditional ingredients. Named after a line in the song “Amarillo by Morning,” the name is a nod to the location of 5 Stones and the usage of Amarillo hops. Up From San Antone is a combination of a classic NW White IPA and Belgian Wit, similar in style to Deschutes Chain breaker White IPA. Widmer juiced and zested over 100 lbs of fresh grapefruit with coriander to impart a strong grapefruit character that comes across more bitter and pithy as opposed to juicy, both emphasizing the bitterness of the fruit and hops.
    Widmer Brewers chatting about Up From San Antone, their Grapefruit White IPA at the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview with sneak peeks of 10 of the beers
    Widmer Brewers chatting about Up From San Antone, their Grapefruit White IPA at the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview with sneak peeks of 10 of the beers. Also, of the brewers that actually wore the brewery shirts to as to be easily identified, they have the nicest ones. This kind of insightful coverage clearly differentiates me from other beer blog coverage.
  8. Pi Beer from Fort George Brewery – Astoria, OR
    Style: Fruit Wheat Beer ABV: 5% IBU: 3.141592653358979323846264338372950288419716939937510
    For Fort George’s PFBF entry this year the brewery took a traditional approach to fruit beers with a low alcohol wheat beer and the addition of strawberries and rhubarb. Named after the beers low IBU value of 3.14, Pi Beer has a big strawberry aroma with a hint of tannic acidity from the rhubarb. The fruit aroma however falls short in the flavor of the beer letting the wheat character shine through. Where Fort George succeeds is in Pi Beer’s drinkability making it a refreshing beer on a hot day.
  9. Nero’s Fiddle from Burnside Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: Graff ABV: 7.0%
    Burnside Brewing and EZ Orchards Cidre collaborated to blend a whole bunch of apples- including Roman Beauty, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith apples, the Roman Beauty being what inspired the name Nero. The apples were slightly fermented per French Style cider and whirlpooled directly into the kettle.
  10. Pear’n Kramer from Lompoc Brewing – Portland, OR
    Style: Golden Ale ABV: 5%
    Description: The origin of these pears is a story of friendship- they came from the backyard in Salem, and were hand picked by the brewers and bartenders of Lompoc themselves last summer. In fact, the Kramer name comes from the name of the mother whose backyard they relieved of those 40 pounds of pears. I guess you can say the type of pear used in this beer is “Backyard Pear”. This beer fermented in stainless stell with those pears which were just quartered so skin and all for 5 months before being transferred to another stainless steel tank for conditioning where it was inoculated with a touch of gueuze. There is something a little local farmstead beer about this beer which is charming.

This wasn’t available to taste, but Abe (Abram Goldman-Armstrong) gave us a little drinking break as he talked about Cider Riot and their contribution to the Portland Fruit Beer Fest. It is one of the rare taps to be opened on Saturday afternoon and made especially for the festival. Inspired by Michael Jackson the beer writer who would sometimes use this descriptor, this cider called Hedgerow Fruits uses dessert apples then blended with black currants and black prunes.
Abe (Abram Goldman-Armstrong) describes how Cider Riot's contribution of the Hedgerow Fruits fruit cider (apples AND black currants and prunes) was inspired by beer writer Michael Jackson. At the Portland Fruit Beer Fest Media Preview with sneak peeks of 10 of the beers

The Fruit Beer Festival, as before, will be held Burnside Brewing. Burnside Brewing will be open and you can also get food via Pulehu Pizza with their grilled pizzas, as well as Bunk Sandwiches.

Attending Beer Festival Tips

  1. The earlier you arrive at the festival the better so as to not have as many lines and in case certain beers run out for the day. I almost always arrive at the beginning and so can be gone in a few hours unless I’m waiting for rare beers to rotate in.
  2. Keep in mind you don’t have to pay admission both days- you just need to bring back your glass from the Saturday and buy extra drink tickets as needed.
  3. My recommendation is to scope out what beers you want- particularly for the rare beers, if it says which day it is being tapped you may want to plan for that day. As I noted earlier, rank which ones you really want to try and try to get those first.
  4. Keep in mind to have a little bit of water with you in order to cleanse your palate and not get dehydrated.
  5. If you go with friends who aren’t squeamish about sharing, you can taste even more by each person calling what they are going to go get and you mark it off the list! If there are ones you particularly want you can always get a second one on your own!

 

WHAT: Portland Fruit Beer Festival

WHEN: Saturday, June 6 11 am-9 pm until the end of Sunday, June 7 11 am-6 pm

WHERE: Burnside Brewing at 701 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

TICKETS: On sale at $20 general admission. You can also buy admission at the door. The admission includes one 16 oz glass you keep and 12 drink tickets.

 

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Portland Center Stage Show: Lizzie Musical

June 3, 2014 by 8 Comments

Disclosure: I was invited to see this production as part of a complimentary bloggers event, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

The Portland Center Stage has just opened recently a new show called LIZZIE. It’s been a while since I visited Portland Center Stage- the last time I blogged about it was when I reviewed I Love To Eat and did a backstage at Portland Center Stage at the Armory, though I also saw The People’s Republic of Portland. Then summer happened, and Feast, and the holidays, and somehow I didn’t get back to a show. Thankfully they came back to my attention when I was invited to Blogger Night at Portland Center Stage, which was also the official opening night of LIZZIE! The show is playing May 24 — June 29 so it only has a 4 week run!

LIZZIE Art by Julia McNamara May 24–June 29, 2014 pcs.org/lizzie
LIZZIE Art by Julia McNamara

A Review of the LIZZIE Musical

LIZZIE is described as

“A rock-show retelling of the bloody legend of America’s favorite ax-wielding double-murderess and Victorian hometown girl. Lizzie Borden, who has become fodder for jump rope rhymes and TV movies of the week, was a Massachusetts woman who was acquitted in 1892 of the ax murders of her father and stepmother, and lived the rest of her life as American’s first infamous tabloid star. But did she really do it? And if so, why?”

Mary Kate Morrissey, who will play Lizzie Borden in Portland Center Stage's upcoming production of LIZZIE - a rock musical about the legendary ax murderess. Please credit: Patrick Weishampel LIZZIE By Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt Directed by Rose Riordan May 24–June 29, 2014 on the Main Stage
Mary Kate Morrissey, who will play Lizzie Borden in Portland Center Stage’s production of “LIZZIE” – a rock musical about the legendary ax murderess. Photo credit: Patrick Weishampel

My friend M and I went to the opening night last week and had a lot of fun. It turns out that the play is more like a rock concert / musical telling a story with four women fronting a six-piece rock band. Yeah! It was awesome watching these women taking command of the stage with strong performances and crossing genres with their exquisite voices, varying from operatic drama and sweet love ballads to head banging classic rock and roll tinged even with a little punk through the 28 songs that evening.

The first third of the performance starts out slow and a little discordant as the audience (at least IMHO) is presented with the visuals of these four proper ladies in Victorian mannerisms and long dresses and pinned hair singing the story exposition (as you would expect in a musical). At the start it seems to really pile on the background of the situation and characters and possible motivations all seemingly too quickly.

Perhaps part of it was I had to try to adjust so quickly of them switching from singing of longing and desire for freedom and love, which meets normal musical story expectations, to already hiking up their skirts and pulling out a microphone to belt lyrics ranging of the father’s disappointment of not having a son and being a penny-pinching control freak to struggles of inheritance and implied incest and lesbian love.
LIZZIE Clockwise from top: Kacie Sheik (Alice Russell), Leslie McDonel (Emma Borden), Carrie Cimma (Bridget Sullivan) and Mary Kate Morrissey (Lizzie Borden) in LIZZI
Clockwise from top: Kacie Sheik (Alice Russell), Leslie McDonel (Emma Borden), Carrie Cimma (Bridget Sullivan) and Mary Kate Morrissey (Lizzie Borden) in “LIZZIE” at Portland Center Stage. Photo credit: Patrick Weishampel

Thankfully, after that initial 1/3 of the act, the script seems satisfied with having established rational and emotional motives and enough broad brushstrokes of who each of the characters are to begin having fun. Starting at the point where we begin to contemplate the murder alongside with Lizzie with the beautiful song Shattercane and Velvet Grass, LIZZIE begins to hit its stride.

It’s an admirable feat, balancing tragic drama with a few lines here and there of touches of clever dark  humor along with quite a bit of over the top visuals, varying from bloody pigeons to a spurting ax and head banging to a song titled “What the F**K Now, Lizzie?!”. Yet, it seems not so jarring now, but in line with the yearning for and expression for freedom that the audience now has bought into and is right with Lizzie Bordon in supporting rebellion and yes, reveling in it. I think everyone walked out at the end with a smile.

LIZZIE l-r: Mary Kate Morrissey (Lizzie Borden) and Kacie Sheik (Alice Russell) in LIZZIE at Portland Center Stage. Please credit: Patrick Weishampel LIZZIE By Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt Directed by Rose Riordan May 24–June 29, 2014 on the Main Stage
LIZZIE l-r: Mary Kate Morrissey (Lizzie Borden) and Kacie Sheik (Alice Russell) in “LIZZIE” at Portland Center Stage. Photo credit: Patrick Weishampel

LIZZIE Show and Ticket Details

The show is playing May 24 — June 29 on the Main Stage of Portland Center Stage. LIZZIE is written by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt and Directed by Rose Riordan.

Note: This production features a live rock band, along with theatrical effects such as strobe lights, fake blood and fog. LIZZIE contains mature content, strong language and sexuality; It is recommended for ages 16+ and children under 6 are not permitted.

Performance times:

  • Tuesday – Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
  • Thursday matinees at noon

Ticket prices range from $34- $72 depending on the seats and date/time of performance. Sunday and Thursday matinees are the most affordable ($38-52 matinee), followed by Sunday evenings ($44-54) and weekday evenings ($44-66), and Friday and Saturday being prime show nights ($54-72).

I have a special deal to offer in that you can use the promo code PDXBLOGS to get $10 off each ticket to LIZZIE when you purchase online through the PCS ticketing website. Also, if you lucky enough to be in time, they are having a special Beer, Bikes, and Blood promotion on this Friday June 6 as part of Pedalpalooza where you can get bike parking, Deschutes’ Chainbreaker White IPA brew and snacks in a private party at 5:30pm on the PCS mezzanine before the show AND a ticket to see the 7:30 evening LIZZIE all for just $20!

Portland Center Stage Lizzie production, Opening night of #lizzieborden #lizzie #pcs_lizzie @PCS_Armory

You can find Portland Center Stage (PCS) online at Facebook PDXcenterstage, Instagram @portlandcenterstage and Twitter @PCS_Armory. You’ll also find more about LIZZIE and other Portland Center Stage shows on the PCS blog.

Find out more about this musical at www.lizziethemusical.com, where you can even listen to a bit of the music to get an idea of what’s in store for you, and that studio album includes Storm Large as one of the Borden sisters and Carrie Manolakas as Lizzie Borden (you might know Carrie from her YouTube cover of Radiohead’s Creep)! Carrie Cimma who plays the housemaid on that album is the same Carrie who plays the housemaid in the Portland Center Stage production! You can also see a few sneak peak videos of other productions at the Portland Center Stage blog, as well as a preview of what the staging and costumes will be for the performance here in Portland.

Tips and Trivia

As a bonus, a few other tip and tidbits.

1. Show up a bit early for the show to enjoy a cocktail! They have a full bar, and also have a few special cocktails created to reflect these last shows of the season, LIZZIE and THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I ordered the one that was LIZZIE themed, a cocktail dubbed Life Ain’t Pear with house-infused pear brandy, triple sec, lemon, and splash of orange. Yes, there is a pear reference in the performance! Also, the bartendress Jamie who created our drinks was fabulous. You can pre-order your drink for intermission, btw. No need to chug your beverage before entering the theater- just make sure to grab a top for your drink and a straw!
Portland Center Stage Lizzie production, Ooooo the special cocktail for #lizzieborden #pcs_Lizzie Life Ain't Pear with house-infused pear brandy, triple sec, lemon, and splash of orange. #pdxcocktail #pdxdrinks Portland Center Stage Lizzie production, Ooooo the special cocktail for #lizzieborden #pcs_Lizzie Life Ain't Pear with house-infused pear brandy, triple sec, lemon, and splash of orange. #pdxcocktail #pdxdrinks

2. If you are in the neighborhood. I highly recommend Oven and Shaker as one option for a meal after the show so you can chat with your other theater companions about the fun you just had and the story. I’ve blogged about the Oven and Shaker great salad and pizzas and cocktails several times. If you just want a few cocktails after the show, within a 2 block radius besides Oven and Shaker I recommend Teardrop Lounge or Vault Martini for some cocktails. The pics below are from Oven and Shaker (Wild Fennel Sausage – potato, tomato, chilies, scallions, smoked mozzarella; the Nostrana Salad; and a Pepper Smash cocktail) and example cocktail from Teardrop.

There are many other options in the area, since Portland Center Stage is so well located in the Pearl and easy walking distance to downtown- so make it a great girls’ night or date night or night out with friends!

Wild Fennel Sausage with potato, tomato, chilies, scallions, smoked mozzarella Oven and Shaker, Cathy Whims, Pearl DistrictOven and Shaker offers as part of their happy hour the iconic Nostrana Radicchio Caeser, a small portion for half price. Clearly the portion is very generous Oven and Shaker Pepper Smash cocktail, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland San Francisco Swell, Appleton Reserve rum, lime, mint, blackberry honey, Angostura bitters, egg white, Chandon brut sparkling, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails

3. Some trivia I learned from the back stage tour, guided by Chris, I took that evening as part of the Bloggers Night. If you check the This Week at PCS Blog, they will sometimes list extra information sessions or tours you can join in on- not just for LIZZIE but for any production they have year round.

LIZZIE behind the scenes tour with guide Chris

  • They use two different kinds of blood in the LIZZIE production. There’s the usual stage kind with corn syrup which stays, but there is also another kind that has non-bleach detergent in it in order to be easy to clean. During one of the blood splattering scenes the actress playing LIZZIE has that detergent blood getting everywhere- including her eyes – but she has to finish singing through the scene before she gets a chance to run offstage to the eye rinse! That scene is already intense, now that you know that how much more crazy is it!?
     They use two kinds of blood during the Portland Center Stage production of LIZZIE, the kind with corn syrup for color/lasting and the kind with bleach to easily wash out Decapitated pigeons are pretty gross in the Portland Center Stage production of LIZZIE
  • The decapitated pigeons are really gross. They are soaked with blood- so either have to wear gloves when you handle them or as you’ll see in the production, you get bloody hands really fast!
  • There are microphones hidden in the actresses’ hair (and it is all their real hair, no wigs are used), but those hand microphones they use are also real and help them rock out above the sound level of the band. They have to do sound checks on ALL the microphones before every performance- and use thousands of batteries so order them in bulk!
  • Two of the musicians were in the band Everclear!
  • Once a performance has an opening night, there is no more changes- it is locked down and so what you will see if you see this show is going to be what I saw! It is also the first time everyone gets paid!

Thank you to Portland Center Stage for inviting me to Bloggers Night. And one last little thing… I loved the centerpieces they had for the cocktail tables of snacks for opening night, aren’t they awesome (and don’t you want to reuse that for your Halloween party?!)
Portland Center Stage Lizzie production, Opening night of #lizzieborden #lizzie #pcs_lizzie @PCS_Armory I loved the centerpieces they had for the cocktail tables of snacks for opening night, aren't they awesome?

Disclosure: I was invited to see this production as part of a complimentary bloggers event, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

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Ringside Steakhouse 70th Anniversary

June 2, 2014 by 4 Comments

Disclosure: I attended a media preview event that was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Ringside Steakhouse is celebrating it’s 70th anniversary this month in June! This classic steakhouse has been an institution in Portland, and the Peterson family is now on its third generation of owning this award winning steak restaurant (RingSide has been recognized on America’s Top Ten Steakhouse Hall of Fame list and by DiRōNA for high quality service, and was awarded a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2002).

Ringside Steakhouse Uptown location
To help celebrate, Ringside has a few specials planned for this month.

Trio of Beef

First, Ringside is offering a special menu all month in addition to their regular menu: a 3-Course Menu featuring a Trio of Beef for $70 per person. Part of the proceeds will benefit New Avenues For Youth. New Avenues is a great charity that provides a variety of outcome-based programs and services for homeless and at-risk youths with the goal of helping them to build life-skills, establish a stable living environment, and eventually become a self-sufficient adult.

I was graciously invited by Little Green Pickle and Ringside Steakhouse to a RingSide 70th Anniversary Media Preview. There, they had set up three steak stations in order to offer samplings of the special Trio of Beef.

Course 1: Oregon Bay Shrimp Salad with Butter lettuce, endive, celery leafs, red onions, green goddess dressing

Course 2: Trio of Certified Angus Beef Beef served with Chef’s accompaniments

  1. Rib Eye Cap, char-broiled and sliced and served with jus. In case you are curious, the Rib Eye Cap is the top part of the ribeye which is a winning combination of all the flavor and juicy fat of a ribeye but with the tenderness of a tenderloin. It’s a very small cut, so you don’t usually see this available in a steakhouse and you’d have to ask for it especially cut by a butcher. This is quite a treasure. Yes, yes, a meat treasure that you want to serve simple like this to savor all the meatiness. I tell you, it’s a slight tragedy that I’m married to a vegetarian.
    "Ringside "Ringside
  2. Braised Short Rib with Cabernet demi-glace. This was so melt in your mouth! So, I forgot to take a photo of the short rib at the station, but I was barely able to hold myself back to take the photo before devouring this. It was like meat butter, and a favorite by many of the guests at this event.
  3. Tenderloin of Beef Oscar, a Petit Filet Mignon, Dungeness crab, asparagus and sauce béarnaise. This was the other favorite by many of the guests, as it’s a surf and turf in one! Even before it is topped with the crab, asparagus and sauce, look how beautiful it is.
    Ringside Steakhouse 70th Anniversary: Tenderloin of Beef Oscar, a Petit Filet Mignon Ringside Steakhouse 70th Anniversary: Tenderloin of Beef Oscar, a Petit Filet Mignon, Dungeness crab, asparagus and sauce béarnaise

Course 3: House Made Fromage Blanc Cheesecake with Strawberry balsamic jus

Optional wine pairing of 4 @ 3 oz. Pours – $40 for

  • Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc
  • Ken Wright Pinot Noir
  • Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Tyrus Evan Syrah

As part of the special media preview event, I had an opportunity to tour the behind the scenes at the Ringside Uptown location. RingSide has an on-site dry-aging room. First steaks arrive fresh with careful temperature and humidity controls the entire way, and then are cut in a special room that they can reduce and maintain to perfect controlled temperature conditions within 10 minutes (I dubbed it the “steak surgery room”).

Then, the cuts go to the aging room (I dub this “most organized and fully stocked meat locker I’ve ever seen, where’s the grill…”) where the steaks are aged for 28 days and hand cut. Since they only have seven decades of experience at being a steakhouse, they manage their inventory expertly to balance having what they need while managing the natural waste that is part of the process of dry aging.
RingsideSteakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room RingsideSteakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room

This part of the little visit was narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson, and Craig humbly said they are still trying to get the flavors perfect in their dry aging process… and that it will probably never be perfect. I have to say I beg to differ here because the steaks I sampled that evening had great depth of flavor. Also, it was all served with forks from the meat stations… no knives, because they weren’t necessary!
Ringside Steakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room, being narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson (3rd generation owner!) RingsideS teakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room, being narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson (3rd generation owner!) Ringside Steakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room, being narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson (3rd generation owner!)

Part of the secret was revealed when we had a chance to peek at the kitchen and I saw the sous vide steaks in process (which was also next to some oysters on ice, and in the back some jumbo shrimp being prepped…). Ringside also knows that guests come to Ringside for special occasions, and they are serious about delivering a memorable experience for you, from food and drinks to impeccable service… and apparently are such the special occasion destination they’ve got to prep dessert dishes for the service (I guess more birthdays than anniversaries that night.)
Ringside Steakhouse - behind the scenes tour, including the sous vide for the steak, oysters on ice and jumbo shrimp being prepped in the back Ringside Steakhouse - behind the scenes tour, including the sous vide for the steak, oysters on ice and jumbo shrimp being prepped in the back Ringside Steakhouse knows it is a special occasion destination and they are ready for you - apparently more birthdays than anniversaries tonight

Oh, just being served a chocolate truffle in the kitchen by Executive Chef Beau Carr as we followed Craig to check out the onion ring station…
Ringside Steakhouse: Oh, just being served a chocolate truffle in the kitchen by Executive Chef Beau Carr as we followed Craig to check out the onion ring station...

Yes, I got to see the glory of their onion ring station. Yup, a dedicated onion ring station, as you would expect because the onion rings here are among the best in Portland, if not the best.
Ringside Steakhouse onion ring station Ringside Steakhouse onion ring station

Besides being known for its high quality steaks, Ringside is also the home to one of the best and extensive wine lists in town. Jan Peterson took us down via the elevator to the temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar. Wow. It’s is a huge room with two rows of cases of wines 6 shelves high, grouped by region. Yeah, just almost 1000 wines to choose from, that’s all. You see how the shelves on are little rollers? It’s to make it easy to move the wine with less physical exertion, how clever!
RingSide Steakhouse Uptown temperature controlled wine cellar. RingSide Steakhouse Uptown temperature controlled wine cellar. RingSide Steakhouse Uptown temperature controlled wine cellar. RingSide Steakhouse Uptown temperature controlled wine cellar. RingSide Steakhouse Uptown temperature controlled wine cellar. Oh, just some Rubicon and Opus One. No Big deal

Special Dinners and Reception

In addition, Ringside is doing two Chef’s Collabrative Winemakers Dinners. To start off each meal, the Peterson family and Executive Chef Beau Carr will give guests a behind-the-scenes tour of the dry aging meat locker and the climatized cellar that I got a sneak peak of above! You can see it with your own eyes instead of just my pictures!

Then, there are the chef collaboration dinners themselves. One was on June 1 with The Woodsman Tavern and Woodward Canyon Winery and there is another on June 8 with Toro Bravo and Ken Wright Cellars. The dinners are six courses with wine pairings, and tickets are $200 per person, all-inclusive, with a portion of proceeds benefiting New Avenues For Youth.

There is some amazing stuff on the menu, such as for the Woodsman/Woodward Dinner this past Sunday just oh a “Chef’s Snack Plate” that includes Whipped Kobe Fat, Dark Rolls, Charcuterie, romage, Foie Gras au Torchon, and Ramaki. Just snacks. One of the mains was a Petit Bone-In Filet Mignon, Dry Aged Pacific Rouge Wagyu Marrow Butter with Oregon White Truffle Potato Puree, Roasted Rapini, Ramps, and House Lardons.

For the upcoming diner with Toro Bravo/Ken Wright, this coming Sunday June 8, the snack includes Wagyu Beef Jerky & Slim Jim, Hush Puppies and Devils on Horseback, while mains include A-5 Wagyu Ribeye for one course and for another a Surf and Turf with Oregon Wagyu Consommé, Dungeness Crab, and Bone Marrow Toast.

Drooool.

Finally, Ringside is wrapping up June with a 70th Anniversary Reception on Sunday, June 29th. After a glass of champagne upon arrival, guests can enjoy libations and passed hors d’oeuvres created by the executive chefs of all three of the RingSide properties (both RingSide Steakhouse Uptown and Eastside, and RingSide Fish House). Ringside will also be featuring featuring 100% Wagyu from Oregon and Japanese A5 Kobe. Musical entertainment will be provided, and 50% of every ticket sold will be donated to New Avenues For Youth.

VIP Anniversary Reception 4:00 – 10:00 PM (so 2 hours of extra reception time!)
Tickets are $200 per person and includes a VIP preview from 4-6pm, featuring private tours of wine cellar and dry-aging room, a signed copy of Gerry Frank’s guide to Portland, celebrity bartenders and servers, passed hors d’oeuvres and carving stations featuring A5 Kobe, 100% Wagyu from Oregon, Ahi poke and Foie Gras. Hosted bar with cocktails, beer and wine will be served with complimentary pours of Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut.

Anniversary Celebration 6:00 – 10:00 PM
$100 per person and includes passed hors d’oeuvres, carving stations and complimentary beer, wine and house cocktails, no hosted bar.

You can buy tickets at the Ringside Anniversary page here if you’d like to attend the Winemaker Dinner or the 70th Anniversary Reception. For reservations to get the June special 3 course menu including Trio of Beef, you can go to either Ringside location:

Ringside Steakhouse Uptown

Address: 2165 W Burnside Portland, OR

Dinner:

  • Mon. – Wed. 5pm to 11:30pm
  • Thurs. – Sat. 5pm to 12am
  • Sundays: 4pm to 11:30pm

Happy Hour:

  • Mon. – Sat. 9:30 – close
  • Sundays: 4pm – 5:30pm & 9:30 – close

Reservations online at OpenTable  or Phone: (503) 223-1513

Ringside Steakhouse Eastside

Address: 14021 E Glisan Portland, OR
Lunch:

  • Monday – Friday 11:30 to 2:00 pm

Happy Hour::

  • Monday – Friday 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm & 8:30pm – close
  • Saturday 11:30am – 6:00pm & 8:30pm – close
  • Sundays: 11:30am – close

Dinner:

  • Monday – Thursday 4:30 pm to 10 pm
  • Friday – Saturday 4:30 pm to 11 pm
  • Sunday: 3 pm to 10 pm

Reservations online at OpenTable or Phone: (503) 255-0750

Happy 70th Birthday RingSide! You don’t look a day over aged 28 days…

Check out the fabulous photos by other fellow bloggers, as well as their perspectives on Ringside and the steaks!

Disclosure: I attended a media preview event that was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

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Book Club Review: A History of the World in 6 Glasses

May 31, 2014 by 4 Comments

For May the Kitchen Reader book club selected reading is A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. For our casual online club there is a new book selected for every month, each book is related to food, and members write a review on their blog during the last week of that month. If you are interested in joining, check out the website.

This was a pretty quick read for me, part of it is because the tone is very light, which makes sense as the author is an essayist who often writes articles for magazines. As you proceed through it, you get to pick up lots of interesting facts about how the six beverages of the book- beer, then wine, then liquor, then coffee, then tea, and then Coca Cola – was an incarnation of a certain time period of western history. Everything is easy to understand and follow, although at times information is just stated as a story or cause and effect without much more proof to argue that the statement or tale is true. But, there isn’t really anything controversial here. And even if there is sometimes missed opportunities, there are still plenty of fun stories and facts thrown in.

There is one particular quote that I wanted to point out, as I don’t want to give away all the good tidbits of the book, but that I think helps embody why this various liquid drinks are so important in human history:

“Unlike food, beverages can be genuinely shared.When several people drink beer from the same vessel, they are all consuming the same liquid; when cutting up meat, in contrast, some parts are deemed more desirable than others.As a result, sharing a drink with someone is a universal symbol of hospitality and friendship.”

It was true in each of the time periods, with each beverage, even if some were alcoholic, some were not, some were religious or intellectual or even initially for health reasons, several were even used as a form of currency, but all endured because of the role drinks lay in socializing.

Also interesting to me is that some of the social roles still remain today in our current society.

  • Beer remains seen as a “common man” drink that equalizes everyone. It may have also played a strong part in early human civilization settling down because the beer process makes water safer to drink. Also, people used to drink beers together from the same vessel using straws!
    Christina Collada from Google Places pouring the beer at the Guild Pub House We found a place called Tasting Arizona which offered both wine flights and beer flights. View while enjoying beer flight- you can see Snoopy Rock towards the right
  • Wine still carries to this day the air of civilized refinement from the Greeks (which probably began with the fact that wine production needs specific climate or trade, while beer is made from the much more common grain). When absorbed by the Romans, wine could emphasize social divisions based on how good your wine was (based on type and how old it was- something that still is intimidating/gives an air of judgement based on what you drink and snobbery today!).
    Tasting room stop before Sip McMinnville Wine and Food Classic: Anam Cara, where Et Fille gets their grapes for their Nicholas Pinot Noir... really liked Anam's clean bright Riesling and Mark II Vino Volo, A vacation starts with a wine flight while waiting for our flight in Seattle to get to Chicago
  • Distilled spirits are often still seen, unlike beer and wine, as a means for getting drunk. The distillation process from alchemical laboratories became dominant during the Age of Exploration, a reflection of how science and travel/navigation were becoming more intertwined – and it certainly helped that distilled alcohol worked well for long cruises in both being efficient as only small rations were needed and mixed with lemon or lime juice helped combat scurvy. The book went a little into how it also was a tool for social control – with a mention of slavery in rum production and only the vaguest hint of the effect to help subjugation with discovered civilizations in the New World. To balance that, although rum encouraged the slave trade, whiskey was a symbol of the pioneer spirit of America.
    American Whiskey Ginger by Bull Run Distilling, made with Temperence Trader American Whiskey
  • Coffee continue to be regarded now as the opposite of alcohol and a soberer (even though this isn’t true!) and the drink of those who are smart. Coffeehouses remain a gathering place for learning. This is where I noticed that the book does focus a great deal on Western Civilizations, as there are many different ways people of the worlds “take” their coffee, and I wish we could have explored that a little.
    Coffee with a heart... Kafae Boraan, Sook brewed ancient Thai coffee with condensed milk and sugar. Available hot or iced. It looks thick like an espresso, but it is sweetened up with that condensed milk and sugar, don't worry! This is also good with the Patanko and sankhaya.
  • Serving tea at home is still seen as a symbol of being genteel, probably stemming from its Asian ceremonial origins! Too bad though it has lost its ability to just be a whole new afternoon meal because I would like more accessible adorable dainty tea sandwiches and excuses for clotted cream.
    6/16/2008 Domo restaurant in Denver: enjoying tea in a handcrafted ceramic tea bowl Wave Restaurants accompaniments with tea: Sweets of Macaroons- sea salt and caramel, lemon, chocolate and berry , Scones- butter and orange-vanilla, Madeleine- vanilla and orange zest , Market fresh fruit tarts , Tea cakes- lemon-poppy seed and chocolate chip with Devonshire cream, lemon curd and strawberry jam
  • Coca Cola came from the trend at the time to market soda water as a health drink because of it’s refreshing bubbles similar to spring water. I totally admit first I laughed, and then I remembered that when I’m not feeling well I still rely on Sprite to help “settle my stomach”. I also admit that when I was in Atlanta I visited the Coca Cola museum and was surprised that it was pretty fun! I have to admit I didn’t get to finish reading the last chapter yet on globalization, but it’s pretty obvious it is true… have you heard the Coca Cola song for the World Cup, or the ad during the superbowl with America the Beautiful in different languages?

Next in June the book club reading is A Moveable Feast (Lonely Planet Travel Literature) published by Lonely Planet. It has a lot of essays in it by different authors and looks very interesting!

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