Tips for Feast PDX 2016

September 8, 2016 by 7 Comments

It’s one week until it’s here! The food holiday time of year in Portland – Feast week. It’s all starting Thursday September 15 and goes through Sunday September 18 2016. This will be my fourth year attending Feast, and here are my top tips for Feast PDX, ranging from what to wear to how to proceed through a food event and make the most of it.

Feast promises 4 days of belly busting events showcasing delicious eats and drinks. This is Feast’s 5th year, not only celebrating the bounty of the Oregon and the Northwest in food and drink, but also since its inception Feast has donated more than $230,000 to charity. Feast Portland’s charitable partner in 2016 is Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

The main event kick off starts with Thursday, with the Sandwich Invitational (Sold Out) and multiple Dinner Series events (also Sold Out). Then, Friday is your best bet if you don’t already have tickets, as there are tickets still for the Friday version of the Grand Tasting ($60, which are the biggest value for your eating and drinking buck events – $12 an hour progressive sampling of all you can eat and drink for 5 hours!) and several Drink Tank events: see the full Feast schedule here. You can also check the Feast official Facebook page to see if there are any giveaways still open to win tickets.

Beans & Booze panel at Feast 2014 Feast 2015: Oregon Bounty, Kimberly Hoang of Magenta Restaurant in Corvallis Oregon presented Hot Chicks! Dough filled with savory chicken and spicy tamarind creme Brunch Village at Feast 2015, USA Pears, one of the participating sponsors, really brought their A game with their Creamy Coconut and Star Anise Poached Pears and a Pear Shrub wtih Sparkling Prosecco or Soda Water

I also wrote a previous post listing some of the Fab Five food that celebrates Feast but you can get even if you are not at any of the Feast events, and a portion of proceeds still goes to fighting childhood hunger. If you are attending a Feast event, here are my top tips for Feast PDX!

Tip 1: Dress Comfortably &  have Easy Pockets or a Tote Bag

For all the main events, you will be visiting a lot of different booths as you are progressive eating through a food market. That means you will be on your feet a lot of the time. In some cases, you will be walking on grass (Smoked) or gravel (Night Market – make sure you have good padding in your shoes). So wear comfy shoes every time.

You will also be eating for several hours – so dress like this is Thanksgiving. This is not the time for your form-fitting dresses and skinny jeans. You want to dress in clothes that have a little tummy give.

Friends - Joey - gif of These are my Thanksgiving Pants

If you are going to an evening event, think about layers as the weather will get cooler later. If you’ve got tickets Smoked, be prepared that the cooking aromas can permeate the air and your clothes will absorb it. In general you don’t want anything requiring dry cleaning!

I  highly recommend wearing something with easy accessible pockets or have a tote bag. That way you can store your napkins or utensils or camera or phone while leaving your hands free to hold and eat food and drink, but also get to those objects easily. I don’t like to create a lot of waste at these events, so I will try as much as possible to use every last corner of my napkin and reuse my utensils.

Official Feast Tote bags at Feast 2015

If the weather says it may be rainy and you are attending one of the outdoor events, I recommend wearing weatherproof hooded jacket instead of an umbrella so you don’t have to juggle a food sample, drink glass, AND your umbrella. Plus, your jacket should then come with pockets!

Specifically for the Sandwich Invitational, it is easy to get really, really full on all those 15 or so sandwiches. My secret trick for big multiple station food events like this is that I only take a couple bites of each dish. But since I feel bad throwing the rest away when it’s so delicious I store it away in a few ziploc bags I have in my tote bag and eat it for lunch the next week! This doesn’t mean to go grabbing multiples of a dish unless it’s the very end of the event: have respect for letting all your fellow guests get a chance to try the dish too.
Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational presented by Dave's Killer Bread, Feast 2014. Cathy Whims of Nostrana (Portland, OR) was still giving out a relaxed vibe from her return from Hawaii as she presented her sandwich of Peach Whim Smoked Lamb Ham, Cresenze Cheese, Watercress, Tomato, and Spicy Onion Relish which was paired with the Widmer Portlandic Porter, my favorite sandwich and Widmer beer pairing of the night.

Limiting yourself to only a couple bites, or sharing with a friend, is pretty much the only way to try everything because there is too much for a normal appetite. Don’t feel like you have to eat and drink everything either.

By the end at all the events, don’t be surprised if some of the booths may have already served up all their plates either so make sure you go in the order of chefs or dishes you want to see the most so you won’t be disappointed you missed someone you really wanted to see. I particular like visiting the out of town chefs first rather then the hometown favorites (though I visit them too) since it’s a unique chance to try their food without having to fly to their city.

At Grand Tasting, one of my favorite booths, and which always has a line, is the USA Pears booth which the previous years have featured multiple special dishes and a different chef each day, so if you are attending go look for their booth to see how they have highlighted pears this year. Last year it was Chef Vitaly Paley and then Chef Brian Clevenger. A little birdie told me this year you may find Top Chef finalist and local PDX Chef Doug Adams sharing nibbles featuring USA Pears paired with sips from Chateau Ste. Michelle! Saturday will be Chef Brian again- you can get a peek at what he served last year below. Also, don’t miss out on the Travel Oregon section (for the past few years it has been towards the weather machine) which features various chefs from Oregon.
USA Pears Pop up featuring Vitaly Paley Feast 2015: Oregon Bounty featuring Brian Clevenger with Bartlett Pear Bourbon cocktail, Sikoku oyster with pickled Anjou Pear, Foie Gras with Seckel Pear Mostarda on crostini, and Roasted rabbit loin with Bosc pear puree and brown butter

Tip 2: Use your Phone or Camera to take Photos for Notes

One of the best things about Feast is being introduced to so much new deliciousness. To help remember what you ate or drank, take a photo of them. The visual cue of seeing the descriptions (particularly wine bottle labels) when I look on my phone is so helpful later!
Feast Portland 2014, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Elizabeth Chambers wine Feast Portland 2015 Night Market, Mei Lin was hyperfocused and zen as she carefully plated her Pork Belly Pâté Egg Rolls, Nước chấm, Fragrant Herbs

Don’t forget to bring a charger because all those photos (and if you are recording any notes on your phone) will eat up your battery. I have a portable external battery phone charger I always keep in my bag, as well as the wall charger attachment and if you are driving, for your car as well.

In order to see what is happening and hot everyday at Feast, you can check the hashtag #feastpdx and for handles see on Twitter @FeastPDX and follow on Instagram Feast Portland to also see what everyone is talking about. Maybe that’s how you’ll know to hurry and get into a particular line for a food dish before it runs out. If you yourself do share, make sure you tag #FeastPDX too!

I’ll be on Twitter and Instagram myself covering Feast, so I hope we are already friends on Twitter @pechluck and on Instagram @pechluck .

Having cell phone juice is particularly important if you want to make sure you have enough for your phone to ride Trimet with their online app or be able to call a cab or Uber or Lyft for a ride.

Portland Transportation Options 

You can use Google Maps to help find your transportation options (they are hooked up pretty well, and you can also use trimet.org’s Transit Tracker to look up the stop # and see how long until the bus/Max appears – it’s only $5 for an all day pass). You can purchase a pass using cash or credit card at the Max stops, cash only on the buses, or on your phone using credit card via the Trimet Tickets app (iPhone and Android). You flash your ticket to the bus driver, but for the Max you only have to show it to the fare inspector.

It is very difficult to wave down a taxi – you are better calling one if you aren’t convenient to major streets like Broadway or Burnside near downtown where there are lots of hotels that have taxi stations that they might be heading towards.

  • Uber or Lyft: Use UBER app (iPhone, Android, Windows phones) or LYFT app (iPhone, Android)
  • Portland Taxi Cab Company: 503-256-5400
  • Radio Cab: 503-227-1212
  • Broadway Cab: 503-333-3333
  • Green Cab & Green Shuttle: 503-234-1414
  • Union Cab PDX: 503-222-2222

Tip 3: Talk to Strangers, and Smile!

Since everyone around you is a food and drink lover like you and me, we can ALL surely be friends. Start conversations with strangers! Something as simple as “What are you having? Where did you get that?” or “Did you have a favorite sandwich/sample/wine/etc” is a great conversation opener. This can help give you a heads up on something you try that you didn’t know about. There is a lot going on at each event, so to make sure you see everything so talking to people in line or while by a cocktail table eating is fun and a way to get the scoop of what’s hot.

When you’re at a booth, make sure you flash a smile to whoever is working to show your appreciation for them being on their feet prepping and serving food and drink samples to the crowds. Ask all the questions you’d like with the various vendors (stepping to the side so others can still get to samples), and thank everyone you see working hard to keep the event clean and running smoothly and your plates and cups full!

Sammich of Ashland, OR brought House-Cured Pastrami wtih Double R Brisket on Light Rye with Swiss, Slaw, and Housemade Russian dressing at Brunch Village, Feast 2015 One of my favorite dishes of the Night Market during Feast 2015 was the rich dish of Beef Tongue, Roasted Bone Marrow Aioli, Crispy Rice, Pickles by Carlo Lamagna of Clyde Common

If you really like their food or product, make sure you give them that feedback, ask where you can find their product. If you have a social media account, let them know how much you enjoyed it on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Doesn’t everyone like hearing a compliment and validation that their hard work was enjoyed?

Tip 4: Go with Friends, go Alone, just GO!

Being at Feast is sort of like being able to talk to anyone and everyone rooting for your same sports team at a game – but here the game is FOOD.

That means you also don’t worry about going to any event alone. I have gone to food festivals alone and with friends – and both have their pros and cons. Of course, going with friends means you can share the excitement before, the experience during, and the memories after. In some cases, you might even strategize with friends by waiting in different lines and coming together to share samples.
At Brunch Village for Feast 2015 Simpatica pleased the crowd with their Fried Chicken and Waffles with Green Tomato Syrup Feast 2015 Oregon Bounty: Face Rock Cheese Ricotta on Brioche with Honey with Face Rock Whipped Ricotta, Handmade Brioche Toast, Honey Drizzle, and Toasted Honey Almonds Bonnie Morales of Kachka was adored for her plates at Night Market 2015 of Lamb Pelmeni with Adjika Butter and Pickled Pears

Going alone also has its pros in that you are much more likely to meet new people, and you are able to move faster through food stations. You will naturally get full over time, so the faster you can eat the more you can try before getting to the uncomfortably stuffed point. On your own, you can make your own calls about how you want to proceed through the food areas based on your preferences at your pace.

Sunny Jin of JORY, at The Allison presented Goat Tartare - Charred Green Tomato, Frozen Egg, Panisse Croutons for Night Market 2015 Feast 2015, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Feast 2015, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

I hope my Top Tips for Feast and links to previews to get you in the feasting mood are helpful to you. Here are links to my previous posts from Feast 2015 and 2014 for an idea of the incredible bites of previous years:

For more Feast tips, check out the perspectives of my blogger friends like

Maybe I’ll see you at Feast? Don’t be shy about coming to say hi!

Disclosure: I was granted a Blogger Pass for Feast Portland 2016 for blog post and social media coverage but I am not otherwise being compensated. Even before I was given the Blogger Pass I already had tickets for some Feast events that I paid for myself. 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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Imperial Session Beer Dinner Pop Up Series

September 6, 2016 by 3 Comments

A new pop up is starting up in Portland this time focused on food with another PDX famous love, beer! Advanced Cicerone Ryan Spencer (you may have seen him at Bailey’s Taproom) and Chef Spencer Watari (Clyde Common, Pok Pok) are collaborating together under the name Imperial Session to launch a quarterly dinner series focused on beer and food pairing. The first Imperial Session Beer Dinner will be a five course dinner with pairings for each course on Sunday September 18th at Shift Drinks’ Makeshift Room (former home of Nomad PDX). The dinner seating starts at 7 PM with reservations via tickets available now on EventBrite, with a suggested cash donation of $55 paid at the end of the meal.
Imperial Session Beer Dinner Series, this pop up offers guests the ability to experience a wide range of beer and food interactions without boundaries of a single brewery or single restaurant

Ryan and Spencer are working together to break down the biases and commitments of a typical beer dinner, with the goal of offering guests the ability to experience a wide range of beer and food interactions without boundaries. For instance, usually beer dinner events feature a single restaurant working with a single brewery.

“The problems we found with these dinners were that they all felt more promotional than genuine. Brewer’s wanted to showcase their flagship beers and restaurants wanted to promote their establishments. Both parties seemed to be looking out for their own best interests with little collaboration taking place. We wanted to create a dining experience where we could pour whatever we wanted and serve food that created the ultimate pairing.” Ryan and Spencer explained.

Imperial Session Beer Dinner Series, this pop up offers guests the ability to experience a wide range of beer and food interactions without boundaries of a single brewery or single restaurant

Meanwhile, Imperial Session has intentionally selected beers that are a little outside of the norm. For instance, for this initial dinner, 2 of the 5 beers are unavailable in Oregon, 2 are vintages which are no longer available, and 1 is a small batch brewery only release.

The dinners are intentionally small in order to have guests easily interact with Ryan and Spencer as well as with other guests and allow for smaller batch sourcing of quality ingredients, including rare beers.

Down the road Imperial Session hopes to feature different local chefs to create unique tasting menus for the dinner series, where Spencer operates as the permanent chef and assists the guest chef in formatting their menu into their constraints while also working with Ryan to create pairings.

They have also discussed the opposite situation where they bring in someone from the beer industry to curate a selection of beers to pair with one of Spencer’s menus. Imperial Session could be a venue and opportunity to work out some creative ideas with people whose formal positions in the food and drink industry don’t currently allow that chance.
Imperial Session Beer Dinner Series, this pop up offers guests the ability to experience a wide range of beer and food interactions without boundaries of a single brewery or single restaurant

Background on Imperial Session

Ryan and Spencer have known each other for the majority of their lives, both having grown up in the Portland Metro area and first meeting in third grade and then attending University of Oregon where they home brewed together. Growing up in The Pacific Northwest, surrounded by a wide range of food and beverage,  they said it seemed pretty natural to both of them to pursue careers in those two fields.

Ryan got his start as a dishwasher position at Hopworks before expanding to jobs at Deschutes, Gigantic, and his current position at Bailey’s Taproom where he also has been getting cicerone certifications (the equivalent of a wine sommelier, it requires various levels of examinations). Meanwhile, after college, Spencer moved around for a bit until he settled at Pok Pok for two years before he transitioned to Clyde Common to continue to develop his skills with a more diverse range of cuisines.

For years they have both talked about going into some type of venture together. The specific idea for joining forces to do beer and food pairing dinners came from attending several “Brewer’s Dinners” throughout Portland when Ryan was studying to take the Master Cicerone exam and trying to gain experience with beer and food pairing. Imperial Session is finally those talks, their history, experience, and their expertise coming together for them.

Menu for Upcoming Beer and Food Pairing Dinner

Here’s a look at the menu for this first Imperial Session beer and food pairing dinner. For this particular menu, a few of the dishes were dishes Spencer was really excited about, they tasted through them, and Ryan tried to find beers that might work. On the other hand, a few of the pairings started with a beer that Ryan felt would be really interesting and food friendly, then they designed a dish around the beer. They hope to impart some of the knowledge they acquired from the beer and food pairing process to guests as part of the dinner.

This is the omnivore menu, a vegetarian version is available by advanced notice at their discretion.

Course One:

Grilled corn, kewpie mayo, togarashi cracklin, and avocado puree
Paired with Trillium Pier (a hopped American Pale Wheat Ale from Massachusetts)

Course Two:

Radish and turnip salad, caramel egg dressing, carbonated citruses
Paired with Breakside Carte Blanche (American Wild Ale with Brett, gin and hops)

Course Three:

Lamb pierogies, mint chimichurri sour cream, peas, spring allium
Paired with De Garde/Heater Allen Doppelbock (Eichenbock, an oak barrel-aged Doppelbock)

Course Four:

Sai oua sausage, fingerling potatoes, charred green onions, mushroom demi-glace
Paired with Holy Mountain The Goat (Saison / Farmhouse style ale from Washington)

Dessert:

TBA
Paired with Block 15 2015 Kriek (Kriek is a cherry sour /wild ale style)

 

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Best PDX Breakfast Sandwich: Portland Penny Diner

September 2, 2016 by 4 Comments

For some reason this summer I have been really into breakfast sandwiches, and I thought I would share some of those sandwiches over the next few weeks that I consider the best in Portland. Here’s my first Best in PDX breakfast sandwich highlight.

This is one of the most frequent breakfast sandwiches I crave is from Portland Penny Diner downtown. This sandwich stands out because of the unique trait of being on a fresh Parker House Roll. They have three versions of this sandwich at breakfast (served until 7 – 11 AM) that includes a mortadella version with egg, sauerkraut, and coffee mayo (PDXWT, which I’ve shared before), a meatless Hipster one with tomato, hazelnut romesco, and egg, or this one…

The New Yorker on a fresh Parker House roll with house sausage, bacon, egg, cheese. This one is available at breakfast and also on their mid-day menu unlike the other two breakfast sandwiches.

Best PDX Breakfast Sandwiches: Portland Penny Diner has these incredible Parker House Roll sandwiches for breakfast and one all day breakfast sandwich called the New Yorker on a fresh Parker House roll with house sausage, bacon, egg, cheese

Best PDX Breakfast Sandwiches: Portland Penny Diner has these incredible Parker House Roll sandwiches for breakfast and one all day breakfast sandwich called the New Yorker on a fresh Parker House roll with house sausage, bacon, egg, cheese

You can eat this sandwich here in this modern diner or get it to go. Every time I’ve had one of these damn things I always eat it in like 5 minutes because I just can’t stop, they are always so good. I love all three versions of the 3 Parker House roll breakfast sandwiches, but I most often get the New Yorker because of the longer availability during the day.

I’m still waiting for them to come to their senses and also offer a Parker House roll sandwich in the evening because I would totally grab one to go and take it down to Bailey’s Taproom if it was available. Hell, if I could even just get a try of these rolls, I’d do it… Instead, I pop over to Imperial which has the Parker House rolls on their regular menu for $1 a piece and get one at the bar, as I’ve already shared here as Imperial is one of my favorite bite and a drink highlights in Portland.

What are your thoughts on Parker House roll breakfast sandwiches? Have you had one of these from Portland Penny Diner before? Where is your favorite PDX breakfast sandwich from?

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CigarBQue Portland Recap

August 25, 2016 by 2 Comments

Recently I attended CigarBQue Portland, an event founded in Chicago but this year expanded to include touring the cities of Denver, Atlanta, Austin, and recently here in Portland, OR before it moves on to Philadelphia (September 15), St. Louis (October 13) and Tampa (November 10). The event brings together local chefs and local mixologists in an outdoor barbecue setting along with Diamond Crown cigars.
CigarBque Portland 2016 CigarBque Portland 2016

The ticket sales from CigarBQue also goes towards raising some money for charity, the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation which partners with the Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral (IDDI), a Dominican-based nonprofit organization that for the last 30 years has been fighting poverty by providing training & the skills necessary to make a positive change for those living in both urban and rural regions of the Dominican Republic through education, disease prevention and empowerment.

Here’s a recap of the CigarBQue Portland event, which took place at Castaway on August 11 2016.
Bites and Drinks at CigarBQue Portland 2016

Participating Chefs/Restaurants Included:

  • Mike Delaney, Ned Ludd presented pork ribs with potato salad and pickles
    Ned Ludd at CigarBQue Portland 2016 presented pork ribs with potato salad and pickles Ned Ludd at CigarBQue Portland 2016 presented pork ribs with potato salad and pickles Ned Ludd at CigarBQue Portland 2016 presented pork ribs with potato salad and pickles
  • Rodney Muirhead, Podnah’s Pit
    Pulled Pork Sliders with Slaw from Podnah's Pit BBQ at CigarBQue Portland 2016
  • Cliff Allen, The People’s Pig brought to the table Pork Sandwiches 3 ways- with BBQ sauce and slaw, with Toasted Chili Sauce and pickled onions, and Marinated Peaches with basil and mint.
    The People's Pig at CigarBQue Portland 2016 brought up Pork Sandwiches 3 ways- with BBQ sauce and slaw, with Toasted Chili Sauce and pickled onions, and Marinated Peaches with basil and mint. The People's Pig at CigarBQue Portland 2016 brought up Pork Sandwiches 3 ways- with BBQ sauce and slaw, with Toasted Chili Sauce and pickled onions, and Marinated Peaches with basil and mint.
  • Carlo Lamagna of Honky Tonk Tacos and Clyde Common offered Lengua Adobo Taco Filipino-style on a Three Sisters Tortilla with Escabeche
    Carlo Lamagna of Clyde Common and Honky Tonk Taco at CigarBQue Portland 2016 offered Lengua Adobo Taco Filipino-style on a Three Sisters Tortilla with Escabeche Carlo Lamagna of Clyde Common and Honky Tonk Taco at CigarBQue Portland 2016 offered Lengua Adobo Taco Filipino-style on a Three Sisters Tortilla with Escabeche
  • Johnny  Nunn, Verdigris made Chilled Corn Soup with Smoked Trout and Beet Relish
    Johnny Nunn from Verdigris at CigarBQue Portland 2016 made Chilled Corn Soup with Smoked Trout and Beet Relish
  • Eric Ferguson, Red Hills Market created a Smoked Beef Brisket tostada with Mezcal flamed jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes, and cigar smoked avocados and radishes and micro cilantro
    Red Hills Market created a Smoked Beef Brisket tostada with Mezcal flamed jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes, and cigar smoked avocados and radishes and micro cilantro for CigarBQue Portland 2016 Red Hills Market created a Smoked Beef Brisket tostada with Mezcal flamed jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes, and cigar smoked avocados and radishes and micro cilantro for CigarBQue Portland 2016 Red Hills Market created a Smoked Beef Brisket tostada with Mezcal flamed jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes, and cigar smoked avocados and radishes and micro cilantro for CigarBQue Portland 2016 Red Hills Market created a Smoked Beef Brisket tostada with Mezcal flamed jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes, and cigar smoked avocados and radishes and micro cilantro for CigarBQue Portland 2016 Red Hills Market created a Smoked Beef Brisket tostada with Mezcal flamed jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes, and cigar smoked avocados and radishes and micro cilantro for CigarBQue Portland 2016

Participating Mixologists Included:

  • Steven Sirok of Driftwood Room inside the Hotel DeLuxe, which I missed in taking a photo or trying
  • Jacqueline Stuart of Accanto creating the cocktail Pesca Acida with Corralejo Reposado Tequila, Lime, Peach-Ginger Juice, Pink Peppercorn Salt Rim
    Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016  Jacqueline Stuart from Accanto creating the cocktail Pesca Acida for CigarBQue Portland 2016 with Corralejo Reposado Tequila, Lime, Peach-Ginger Juice, Pink Peppercorn Salt Rim Jacqueline Stuart from Accanto creating the cocktail Pesca Acida for CigarBQue Portland 2016 with Corralejo Reposado Tequila, Lime, Peach-Ginger Juice, Pink Peppercorn Salt Rim
  • Jacob Grier of Cocktails On Tap, created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca
    Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016 Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016 Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016 off Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016 Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016 Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016 Jacob Grier created a cocktail called Shift Drink with Templeton Rye, Lemon, Ginger Syrup, and Fernet Branca for CigarBQue 2016
  • Tommy Klus of La Moule Trinidad Especial with Zaya Gran Rerva, Old Trinidad Rum, Apricot Liqueur, Lime, Mint
    Trinidad Especial by Tommy Klus of La Moule with Zaya Gran Rerva, Old Trinidad Rum, Apricot Liqueur, Lime, Mint for CigarBQue Portland 2016 Trinidad Especial by Tommy Klus of La Moule with Zaya Gran Rerva, Old Trinidad Rum, Apricot Liqueur, Lime, Mint for CigarBQue Portland 2016
  • Joe Frade of LeChon made a horchata inspired cocktail – I sipped a bit from a friend’s but I was all out before I got there to take photos, oops!
  • Lindsay Druhot representing Pok Pok Som made Strawberry Fields with Aviation Gin, Pok Pok Som Strawberry Drinking Vinegar, Aperol, Fresh Lemon, and Mint
    Bites and Drinks at CigarBQue Portland 2016: Lindsay Druhot made Strawberry Fields with Aviation Gin, Pok Pok Som Strawberry Drinking Vinegar, Aperol, Fresh Lemon, and Mint Bites and Drinks at CigarBQue Portland 2016: Lindsay Druhot made Strawberry Fields with Aviation Gin, Pok Pok Som Strawberry Drinking Vinegar, Aperol, Fresh Lemon, and Mint

I thought CigarBque Portland was an amazing event- the booths for the mixologists were inside so they could keep up with the ice while outside on the patio in the summer sun with shade and breeze were all the food booths and cigar table so you can pick a cocktail, some bites of food, and see how they paired with the variety of Diamond Crown cigars. A few large tables and plenty of cocktail tables dressed up with black tablecloths and floral arrangements in cigar boxes created a classy atmosphere, while there was also a cute photobooth available with a backdrop of tobacco field, ha ha.
Bites and Drinks at CigarBQue Portland 2016: Jacqueline Stuart from Accanto creating the cocktail Pesca Acida for CigarBQue Portland 2016 with Corralejo Reposado Tequila, Lime, Peach-Ginger Juice, Pink Peppercorn Salt Rim and Ned Ludd presented pork ribs with potato salad and pickles Bites and Drinks at CigarBQue Portland 2016: Jacqueline Stuart from Accanto creating the cocktail Pesca Acida for CigarBQue Portland 2016 with Corralejo Reposado Tequila, Lime, Peach-Ginger Juice, Pink Peppercorn Salt Rim and The People's Pig brought Pork Sandwiches 3 ways- with BBQ sauce and slaw, with Toasted Chili Sauce and pickled onions, and Marinated Peaches with basil and mint

Seriously though, it was a classy but casual event with excellent cocktails (full size! real glassware!), plenty of food that offered spicy and sweet contrasts and comparisons with the cigar smoke. I’m not sure if they will be touring back and there will be a CigarBque Portland here next year, but if you are in one of the cities they are having the event and you love cigars or are cigar curious, this was a fantastic way to try it, especially with food and drink created with cigars in mind.

Disclosure: I had a complimentary ticket to this event, but was not required to write this post or given any compensation. 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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My Review of Cravings by Chrissy Teigen

August 23, 2016 by 5 Comments

My review of Cravings by Chrissy Teigen is that it delivers on exactly what it promises in it’s title and cover. There’s plenty of photos that look Instagram ready, per someone who has such a social media following. There’s plenty of her enthusiastic foodie voice – that is, Chrissy is not a trained culinary professional, or in the food industry – she just LOVES food openly and unabashedly. And, her writing on every page is evidence of that love of all things delicious.
Cravings by Chrissy Teigen

The recipes vary over a wide range except for dessert. She and I are alike in that way of preferring savory foods especially our love of cheese or cream and eggs to sweets. The recipes are very homey that are a combination of things you would expect in a family, inherited from various people and passed down because people like it for everyday meals.

  • 11 things for breakfast, and I think it’s completely Chrissy’s fault that for the past couple months I’m in a breakfast craving period – I usually go straight to dinner type dishes, but this summer I’m all about breakfast and brunch dishes and lots of eggs. You’ll soon see because starting next Friday I have a whole Best PDX Breakfast Sandwich series I’m kicking off!
  • 7 soups,
    Cravings by Chrissy Teigen cookbook, recipe for Pot Pie Soup with Crust Crackers
  • 9 hearty salads,
  • 14 recipes under noodles and carbs,
  • 6 recipes of homemade Thai stuff from her mom Pepper in a “Thai Mom” section, which I adore her mom-love and that thsi section includes some unusual Thai choices – not Pad Thai or Fried Rice but Jok Moo (Thai Pork and Rice Porridge) and Pepper’s Pork-Stuffed Cucumber Soup
    Cravings by Chrissy Teigen cookbook, recipe for Pepper's Pork Stuffed Cucumber Soup
  • 15 of stuff for parties,
  • 8 short recommendations for stuff on toast on a two page spread,
  • 9 vegetable dishes,
  • 6 “things that intimidate people but shouldn’t”,
  • 17 dinner entrees.

The recipes themselves generally focus on not being healthy, but being crave-worthy – often tasting rich. A recipe for Cheesy Cheeseless Scrambled Eggs with burst cherry tomatoes uses 12 eggs and 1/2 cup of cream and blistered cherry tomatoes to make a rich tasting egg but distribute it over a big dish for many people. Same goes for her party dish of Steak Bites with Melty Blue Cheese Butter that pairs 1/2 pound of NY strip steak and 2 ounces of blue cheese to serve 4-6, or a trick of substituting potatoes with Cauliflower Mash with Roasted Garlic and Ricotta so it is still creamy and garlicky.
Cravings by Chrissy Teigen cookbook recipe, Pull Apart Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Then there are the recipes that just don’t care. The same breakfast section yielded her Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs that are decadent with a cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and 1/2 heavy heavy cream for two servings of 2 eggs each for brunch. But damn if that wasn’t incredibly tasty. One of her soups is a Pot Pie Soup with Crust Crackers with multiple sticks of butter and 1/4 pound of deli ham and a pound of skinless rotisserie chicken meat. Her Chrissy’s Mac and Cheese with Cheesy Garlic Bread Crumbs boasts 3 cups each of grated cheddar and Gruyere or Swiss cheese *plus* 16 slices of American cheese.

Some recipes you can only trust must be incredible because how else would you come up with combos like Cheesy Jalapeno Tuna Casserole with Potato Chip Topping, or Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal (with yellow cake box mix and oats and raspberries and peaches) or French Toast Casserole with Salted Frosted Flakes.
Cravings by Chrissy Teigen cookbook recipe, Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal

The best part of this cookbook is her voice in how she isn’t afraid to be dorky about her food love. If you are into that type of voice rather than a knowledgeable one with lots of tips and tricks or history to a dish, and into a mix of recipes that are a bit all over the place, then you will think this cookbook is fun and enjoy it.

And, I really appreciate how amazing some of the food porn photos are. I eat with my eyes a lot and so it really encourages to make so many of these recipes.

Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs Recipe

Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs Recipe adapted from Cravings cookbook by Chrissy Teigen. I like it as sobering up food/get over a drinking night food over leftover rice like shown here
The recipe I’ve made most often from her book is the  creamy parmesan skillet eggs that are decadent with a cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and 1/2 heavy heavy cream for two servings of 2 eggs each for brunch. The change I made is that I took out her call for salt, as I think the cheese already adds a level of saltiness to it. This is currently my new hungover/drinking night recovery breakfast meal. The whole thing takes only 15 minutes so that relief for an upset stomach of alcohol is fast.

My favorite way to serve this is generally on top of leftover rice from some Asian delivery (usually Chinese – soften the rice, usually about 2-3 cups worth, in the pan for a few minutes with a sprinkling of water over it and set aside before making the eggs). She recommends dividing the recipe in half to make it in two 6 inch skillets to serve two people, mainly because it looks cute presentation wise. I don’t care about presentation and just make it all together.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup finely grated or shredded Parmigiano – Reggiano cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspooon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste as desired
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 eggs

Directions:

  • In a bowl, combine the 1 cup of grated or shredded Parmigiano – Reggiano, and 1/2 cup heavy cream, and teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and mix. I’ve done this with both the grated and shredded Parmesan – if you want it a bit more creamy, the grated Parmesan is the way to go. If you want a more solid almost like a soft cheese crispy, use the grated. You’ll be able to see both photos shortly of what it looks like finished…
  • In a 12 inch pan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in your cheese and cream mix and wait until the mixture is bubbling all the way through.
    Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs Recipe adapted from Cravings cookbook by Chrissy Teigen. I like it as sobering up food/get over a drinking night food over leftover rice like shown here
  • Crack the 4 eggs into the skillet and cook a few minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. I use a silicone spatula to loosen the bottom to make sure it is firm – you should see a bit of a caramelized crust from the cheese and cream under the eggs.
    Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs Recipe adapted from Cravings cookbook by Chrissy Teigen. I like it as sobering up food/get over a drinking night food over leftover rice like shown here
  • Remove from heat and serve in the skillet or pour the entire hot mess over rice on a platter. Top with more black pepper and chopped fresh thyme.

To the left, you can see the recipe with grated Parmesan, to the right is my version with grated Parmesan which you see has a more solid cheese layer that is a bit crispy at the edges.
Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs Recipe adapted from Cravings cookbook by Chrissy Teigen. I like it as sobering up food/get over a drinking night food over leftover rice like shown here Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs Recipe adapted from Cravings cookbook by Chrissy Teigen. I like it as sobering up food/get over a drinking night food over leftover rice like shown here

Do you know who Chrissy Teigen is? What do you think of some of the dishes she includes are recipes in her book that I have mentioned? What’s your go to food in the morning after a big drinking night to settle your stomach?

Disclosure: This book was provided to me as part of the Blogging for Books program, 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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