Mae PDX – the Best Fried Chicken of my Life

September 21, 2015 by 5 Comments

From some of my foodie friend’s feeds, I’ve been drooling for quite a while for the skillet fried chicken and the cornbread of Maya Lovelace.
Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce and the gorgeous skillet of Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce

She has been doing a pop-up called Mae PDX since late spring offering 10 course family style dinners and BYOB in terms of your alcoholic libations.
At the back of Old Salt Marketplace you are right there in the kitchen practically during dinner! At the back of Old Salt Marketplace you are right there in the kitchen practically during dinner! There's Maya Lovelace and Zach Lefler!
Maya Lovelace and Zach Lefler making the delicious in the kitchen at the back of Old Salt Marketplace

It used to be after she sent out the date and sign up email to her mailing list, the 24 seats would be taken before I even read the email (which sometimes would only be within a few hours and more lately, a few minutes!). But, I finally got my opportunity at the beginning of September, which I will recap in photos here.
Family style dining at Mae PDX: the scene when it pops up at the back of Old Salt Marketplace Family style dining at Mae PDX: the scene when it pops up at the back of Old Salt Marketplace Family style dining at Mae PDX: the scene when it pops up at the back of Old Salt Marketplace
The Mae PDX dinners are served family style where you share dishes at a table of 6

The menu does change, so this is just a sample. Rest assured that the one constant will always be that mind-blowing buttermilk brined skillet fried chicken, fried in 3 fats, will be there.
Mae PDX dinner menu on September 2, 2015

Since my visit, Maya has also switched from reserving by email (and then paying cash donation at dinner) to now selling the pop-up dinner tickets via Brown Paper Tickets for $65 a seating that includes around ten courses, sweet tea, house roasted coffee, and digestif cocktail. Update 11/21

“We’re going to be returning to our original reservation format.  This means saying goodbye to tickets and instead taking reservations on a first-come, first-served basis through email.  It’ll be pretty simple… we’ll send out a dinner announcement, and you’ll respond to the email with the number of seats you’d like.
We’ll also be returning to a suggested cash donation for payment… this allows us to get great feedback from you on what you think our work is worth.”

You should sign up for the Mae mailing list and also like the Mae PDX Facebook page  to be in the know and get the tickets link however! The trend I’ve seen is that they tend to be on Wednesdays – in fact there are still tickets available for the 9/23 dinner.

In addition, you can bypass the whole family style dinner with multiple courses if you’d like by attending the Mae PDX and Lardo pop-up happening this Sunday, September 27! If I wasn’t out of town, I would be there myself, no question.

On Sunday, 9/27 from 5 PM – 10 PM , Maya and her partner in slinging the Appalachian meets Pacific Northwest food, boyfriend Zach Lefler, will be at Lardo cart at the SE location of 1212 SE Hawthorne. They accept cash and credit card.
Mae @ Lardo on 9/27/2015

They’ll be offering that fried chicken and a variety of tasty sides. According to the newsletter, their rough draft of the possible menu (which may change based on farmer availability) includes

  • buttermilk brined, lard fried chicken (white, dark, wings)
  • green garlic deviled eggs
  • angel biscuits with sorghum butter and benton’s country ham
  • fried cornbread & late summer vegetable panzanella
  • porky braised greens
  • pimento cheese baked grits
  • fried green tomatoes & buttermilk ramp ranch
  • slow-cooked sea island red peas
  • bacon fried cabbage with pickled mustard seed vinaigrette

Ok, now onto my dinner photos to get you in the mood. And, did I mention this is the best fried chicken I’ve had in my life?

Sassafras and Pluot Luzianne Sweet Tea
Sassafras and Pluot Luzianne Sweet Tea Sassafras and Pluot Luzianne Sweet Tea

Pimento Cheese and Benton’s Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers
Pimento Cheese and Benton's Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers Pimento Cheese and Benton's Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers

Maya Lovelace introducing the starters of Pimento Cheese and Benton's Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers at Mae PDX Pimento Cheese and Benton's Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers
Left photo: Maya Lovelace of Mae PDX introducing the starters of Pimento Cheese and Benton’s Bacon Jam with Fresh and Preserved Pickles, served with a basket of Benne Butter Crackers

Black Locust Farm French Breakfast Radishes with Preserved Ramp Butter
Black Locust Farm French Breakfast Radishes with Preserved Ramp Butter Black Locust Farm French Breakfast Radishes with Preserved Ramp Butter

One of the prettiest salads I’ve ever seen, Gathering Together Farms Sweet Corn, Pickled Chanterelles, Chrysanthemum Greens, Flame Nectarine
One of the prettiest salads I've ever seen, Gathering Together Farms Sweet Corn, Pickled Chanterelles, Chrysanthemum Greens, Flame Nectarine at Mae PDX Gathering Together Farms Sweet Corn, Pickled Chanterelles, Chrysanthemum Greens, Flame Nectarine

Anson Mills Stoneground White Cornbread with Sorghum Butter and Strawberry Spruce Tip Jam served hot from the oven in the skillet with the butter still melting
Anson Mills Stoneground White Cornbread with Sorghum Butter and Strawberry Spruce Tip Jam served hot from the oven in the skillet with the butter still melting Anson Mills Stoneground White Cornbread with Sorghum Butter and Strawberry Spruce Tip Jam

Compressed Melons and Petite Plums with Benton’s 16 Month Aged Country Ham and bourbon Smoked Salt and Shiso
Compressed Melons and Petite Plums with Benton's 16 Month Aged Country Ham and bourbon Smoked Salt and Shiso Compressed Melons and Petite Plums with Benton's 16 Month Aged Country Ham and bourbon Smoked Salt and Shiso

The main event! The life changing… life changing I tell you- Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce. Behind you see a gorgeous skillet of Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy
Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce and the gorgeous skillet of Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy

So MUCH LOVE for this dish. You could really see and taste and feel the love from Maya that goes into the dish and then to us.
Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy and behind the Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce Skillet Fried Chicken with Crystal Hot Sauce and the Creamed Corn with Summer Savory and Smoked Soy

Who knew that simple Angel Biscuits with Duke’s Mayo and Sliced Siletz Tomato could be so good that I ate like 3 of them. Or maybe 4. Well, that’s only 2 whole biscuits right since they are halved? Right?
Angel Biscuits with Duke's Mayo, Sliced Siletz Tomato

I’d never had Dragon Tongue Beans, but I enjoyed the snap of these that helped balance the richer chicken, corn, and biscuits. I did eat these Dragon Tongue Beans, Benton’s Bacon Vinaigrette and Tomato Gravy with my hands since I was already all in with the fried chicken and biscuits. And that little flower detail in the plating just makes me melt with the care Mae PDX has for their dishes.
Dragon Tongue Beans, Benton's Bacon Vinaigrette and Tomato Gravy Dragon Tongue Beans, Benton's Bacon Vinaigrette and Tomato Gravy

Now heading into the final round, we were treated to a pretty potent Elderflower and Cherry Old Fashioned (don’t worry, it’s poured into a little mason jar to drink, that bottle is shared for the table – that’s how potent it is), then Zach’s House Roasted Coffee accompanied this Sundrop Glazed Pound Cake with Blackberries and Buttermilk
Elderflower and Cherry Old Fashioned Zach's House Roasted Coffee accompanied this Sundrop Glazed Pound Cake, Blackberries and Buttermilk

Thank you to the very gracious and patient people at my table who made paused from digging in so that I could take the photos.

If you’d like to learn more about Mae and Maya, check out this excellent podcast with Right At The Fork featuring Maya.

Which of these dishes appeals the most to you?

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Top Tips for Feast Portland and some Previews!

September 16, 2015 by 5 Comments

It’s here! The food holiday time of year in Portland – Feast week. It’s Feast Eve!

This year from Thursday September 17 – Sunday September 20 2015, Feast promises 4 days of belly busting events showcasing delicious eats and drinks. This is Feast’s 4th year, featuring 35 events and 87 all star chefs celebrating the bounty of the Oregon and the Northwest in food and drink.

The main event kick off starts with the Sandwich Invitational – one of the few main events that still has tickets and is not sold out. There are tickets also still for the Friday version and Saturday version of the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting (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!).

It all finishes on Sunday with the last of the Hands On Classes and Drink Tank series whose various classes and panels run throughout the Feast days and who there are also some tickets still available. Other events are already sold out.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational presented by Dave's Killer Bread, Feast 2014. Scott Dolich of The Bent Brick (Portland, OR) had my vote for the best sandwich of the nite with his BBQ Goat Frybread Feast Portland 2014, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Beans & Booze panel at Feast 2014

While satisfying and expanding your palate with the showcase of food as an attendee, Feast also has a mission overall to fight hunger in Oregon, so you will be eating for a cause.  The Feast festival net proceeds go towards ending childhood hunger through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry. Since 2012, Feast Portland has raised over $162,000 towards combating hunger.

This will be my third year attending Feast, and here are my top tips for Feast Portland. At the end of this post, I also will be listing some link love for previews of food available at Feast, AND some food that celebrates Feast but you can get even if you are not at any of the Feast events!

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). So wear comfy shoes.

You will also be eating for several hours – so dress like this is Thanksgiving. This is not the time for your tight-fitting dresses and 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 to Night Market or 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.

Whole Foods tote bags at Feast 2014

Specifically for the Sandwich Invitational, it is easy to get really, really full on all those 15 or so sandwiches. My secret trick is that I only take a few bites, but since I feel bad throwing the rest away when it’s so delicious I store it away in a ziploc bag I have in a bag and eat it for lunch the next week!
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.

I know the weather says it may be rainy on Thursday/Sandwich Invitational night. 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!

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 2014, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, Dave's Killer Bread Hazel on a Mission open faced sandwich sample

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.

This is particularly important if you want to make sure you have enough juice in your phone to ride Trimet with their online app or be able to call a cab or Uber or Lyft for a ride. Another important reason is to check social media to hear about after parties and extend your food partying!

In order to see what is happening and hot, be sure to check the hashtag #feastpdx on Twitter #feastpdx  or the handle 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 .

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 it’s difficult to make sure you see everything so talking to people in line or while by a cocktail table eating is fun.

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, and thank them!

Feast 2014, Tillamook Brunch Village participant Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro & Bar who was the consummate professional and mother who never ran out and was superfast at doling out her delicious buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy to nourish the hungry masses Feast 2014, Tillamook Brunch Village participant Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, (Chouilly, France) helped me finish with happy bubbles thanks to their Brut Rose

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.

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.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational presented by Dave's Killer Bread, Feast 2014. Hugh Acheson of Empire State South (Atlanta, GA). Nothing but love for his sweet goofyness and for bringing pimento cheese. Feast Portland 2014, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Feast 2014, Tillamook Brunch Village participants Widmer Brothers Brewing and King Estate Wines come together for the Hefemosa with Widmer Brothers Hefe, Orange Juice, and King Estate 2008 Blanc de Gris

Tip 5: Alaska Airlines flies your wine and helps cut the line

When possible, I try to fly Alaska Airlines to my destinations from Portland. I love how they always showcase local producers of beer, wine, and snacks. If you are flying south from Portland, try to sit on the left/east side for a view of Mt Hood (reverse that if flying in). And flying north towards Seattle sit on the right side for a possible glimpse of Mt Rainier.

Friendly skies by @AlaskaAir #iFlyAlaska bc they charge ur device at each seat & generously pour Canoe Ridge WA wine Congrats @skilletstfood on being highlighted by @AlaskaAir & getting more bacon jam fans! #bacon #baconjam #eatlocal

View on the shuttle back between Seattle and Portland on Alaska Airlines

If you are flying in from out of town, or flying out to visit family and friends, don’t forget that Oregon Wines Fly Free (plus enter to win a free Oregon Wine Country trip!). Plus, local wineries invite you to enjoy a complimentary tasting when you show your in-bound boarding pass (paper or digital) and proof of your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan membership at any of more than 300 participating wineries.

For those of you with a current Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card, take out your card and cut the line at Brunch Village (they are one of the title sponsors) by going through the VIP entrance. The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card VIP Cardholders’ entrance will be located on SW 6th Avenue.

Preview for Feast 2015

To get you in the mood, I have a few previews for Feast 2015 to share in my linkfest below!

  • Whether you are going to Feast or not, or the Sandwich Invitational or not, you can enjoy the Chef Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer sandwich creation. He isn’t participating in the invitational, but he has teamed up with Whole Foods to make a special Feast “Urbanh Mi” that is a Roast Pork Shoulder Banh Mi. Although he won’t be competing, the sandwich will be available in all Portland Whole Foods at the prepared foods department. $1 from every purchase goes to the Whole Kids Foundation.
    Chef Matt Christianson of Urban Farmer sandwich creation. He isn't participating in the Sandwich Invitational, but he has teamed up with Whole Foods to make a special Feast Urbanh Mi that is a Roast Pork Shoulder Banh Mi.
  • Widmer Brothers Brewing has 4 brand new Collaboration Beers created for Feast that are beer collaborations with Andy Ricker of Pok Pok, Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and Prosciutto di Parma USA. Get some great details at the article at the New School Beer article or Brewpublic article. The beer is featured at multiple events at Feast but will be available also at the Widmer Brothers Pub and a few select restaurants and craft beer bars in Portland.

  • If you will be at the Oregon Bounty Grand tasting, be sure to check out the Oregon Raspberries and Blackberries Commission booth. They have been tweeting previews already of what is in their works with Ringside Steakhouse, and to date that includes
    • Berry macarons, sumac spiced raspberry chocolate confiture
    • Duck Liver Mousse, boysenberry beet gelee, pistachio, candied grapefruit
    • And more…!
  • AM Northwest / KATU has been having Feast Friday previews for the past couple weeks. Some of the previews they have covered include
    • Get a peek at the Bluehour’s Rabbit Torta that Chef Carriker will have at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting taking place Friday and Saturday.
    • Departure’s Gregory Gourdet talks inspiration of a chinese crepe for his entry of the Sandwich Invitational. How will his sandwich fare against other participants like BJ Smith from Smokehouse Tavern who showed a Smoked Beef Tongue with Deviled Egg Yolk and Chef Scott Snyder from Levant doing a play on a shwarma sandwich, or Chef Vitaly Paley of Imperial and Portland Penny Diner’s fry bread taco with soy braised pork belly, spicy mayo?

      Eli Cairo of Olympia Provisions showed a hot dog with an Asian twist. But per KATU New’s article here previewing 3 sandwiches from Olympia Provisions, Little T Baker and Meat Cheese Bread, Eli might be serving an Italian grinder!
    • At Night Market, which I’m attending, I’ll get to see Chef Stephanie Pearl Kimmel of Marché version of Pan Bagnat and Carlo Lamagna of Clyde Common (who “bedazzled” salmon crudo in his segment hee)
    • Urban Farmer Chris Starkus hinted at what he might have at Smoked with his ceder brined salmon dish. Beau Carr of RingSide Steakhouse showed a smoked and bbqed Smoked Wagyu Shoulder Tender and I’m sure Melissa Mayer of Olympia Oyster bar will be doing something with oysters. Adam Sappington of The Country Cat  will also be participating with Tomahawk Chops (I was drooling watching him make his Fried Chicken & Bacon Spoon Bread with Pecans and it was so fun with Harry Connick Jr also in the segment!)
    • Sarah Schafer from Irving Street Kitchen will be part of Brunch Village with Smoked Bison Oaxacan Mole Tameles. Also there will be Daniel Oseas of Cafe Broder bringing Aebleskivers to brunch.
  • At the Sandwich Invitational, Tillamook will be providing their Tillamookies, waffle cone cookie ice cream sandwiches filled with Tillamook Ice Cream. As a sponsor of Brunch Village, Tillamook has partnered with the team at Pine State Biscuits to serve baked apple butter and Tillamook Smoked Cheddar “pop tart” served a la mode with Tillamook Ice Cream.
    Tillamookies, waffle cone cookie ice cream sandwiches filled with Tillamook Ice Cream Tillamookies, waffle cone cookie ice cream sandwiches filled with Tillamook Ice Cream
    Images of the Tilamookies courtesy of Tillamook
  • Every year I get a souvenir shirt for Feast from Flavour Gallery‘s booths. Their foodie tshirts include lots of celebration of food, food festivals, and chefs. They have images of the Feast 2015 designs plus some of the 2014 ones they are bringing on their website now so take a look what will be at the booth! I love how comfy and soft their shirts are, and often wear them for travel on planes to show off my Portland food love.
    Flavour Gallery Unisex Fresh Terry Hooded Zip Up Sweatshirt with thumbholes for Feast 2015 Flavour Gallery Triblend Short Sleeve Crew for Feast 2015 Flavour Gallery Terry Raw-Edge 3/4-Sleeve for Feast 2015 Flavour Gallery Terry Raw Edge ¾-Sleeve Slouchy for Feast 2014
    Images from Flavour Gallery website

I hope my Top Tips for Feast and links to previews to get you in the feasting mood are helpful to you. For more 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 2015 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! 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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Blackberry Pizza Recipe

September 14, 2015 by 8 Comments

Since the Oregon Berry Festival that I recapped a bit ago, I’ve had the idea of creating a Blackberry Pizza. I was inspired by the savory combinations of blackberry from the Gala Dinner I attended. I thought that instead of a sweet dessert pizza, I was going to create a savory version.
Blackberry Pizza recipe with homemade creme fraiche, pesto, a little hot sauce and Oregon Blackberries

Other dessert pizzas often use a cookie as the base, such as a sugar cookie or oatmeal cookie. But I knew that having a regular pizza dough could work, given that I had adored Pulehu Pizza’s strawberry pizza before. I still have a huge crush on that seasonal special pizza, which had a light creamy base instead of the sweeter cream cheese base or whipped topping base. I know berries and creme fraiche are a classic combination, and so that with a pizza dough base was my start.

Next, instead of going with a sweet cream, I opted to lean into the savory per my Gala Dinner inspiration. From creating my Blackberry Grilled Cheese recipe earlier, I knew that basil is a great pairing with blackberry. It is only a short jump from fresh basil to my use of pesto.

Finally, for an additional layer of flavor, I wanted some heat since many of my favorite cocktails include a combination of berries and spicy vodka or tequila. Enter the Marshall’s Haute Sauce special edition Hatch Sesame Balsamic.
Blackberry Pizza recipe with homemade creme fraiche, pesto, a little hot sauce and Oregon Blackberries

I didn’t make the pizza dough or pesto – I already had frozen Kirkland Basil Pesto (which uses Genovese basil, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Romano, and pine nuts) that I could utilize. I bought pre-made dough and I wanted each one to be personal pizza sized.. The only slight time consuming part (which is really more of a wait then prep steps) was making homemade creme fraiche.

To make your own creme fraiche, you just needs 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to every 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. You stir it up and let it sit on your kitchen counter, covered and in a glass container so it doesn’t absorb plastic taste, for 8 hours minimum until it’s thick. It should be a little reminiscent of sour cream in consistency, but the flavor will be a light tangyness compared to sour cream. You then refrigerate your creme fraiche (keep it in glass!), and it can last up to 10 days. The more tablespoons of buttermilk the thicker it is.
Homemade creme fraiche is easy to make using just heavy cream and buttermilk and time Homemade creme fraiche is easy to make using just heavy cream and buttermilk and time

Ingredients:

  • 4 personal sized pizzas (about 6 inches diameter)
  • 1 pint of Oregon blackberries. If blackberries are not in season, I suggest going into the freezer section to get the local frozen blackberries. For Oregon frozen berries, while they are still fresh and perfectly ripe they are fresh frozen within mere hours of being picked. That means from when they were picked to frozen is most likely even a shorter period of time than imported berries in the off season. Plus, Oregon blackberries taste better because of the great Northwest climate here.
  • 1/2 cup of creme fraiche
  • 4 tablespoons of pesto
  • 4 teaspoons of hot sauce (we used Hatch Sesame Balsamic from Mashall’s Haute Sauce, but you could also mix hot sauce with a touch of balsamic if you have a hot sauce that doesn’t already have that acidic note

Directions:

  1. If your personal sized pizzas are still in dough form, you are going to want to pre-cook it (brush a little olive oil on the dough before putting it in the oven) until it the the dough is cooked. If the pizzas are pre-cooked and just need to be heated, you can skip this step.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. For each personal pizza, spread about 2 tablespoons of the creme fraiche. Next, add in 1 tablespoon of pesto and swirl the pesto around in the creme fraiche to create a bit of a swirl pattern throughout. I personally liked this look rather then mixing the creme fraiche and pesto directly. Top with the blackberries.
    Blackberry Pizza recipe. Add the creme fraiche, then mix in the pesto. top with the blackberry Blackberry Pizza recipe. Add the creme fraiche, then mix in the pesto. top with the blackberry
  3. Add the Blackberry pizza to the oven and turn off the oven. Let the pizza warm for 5-7 minutes, then remove. Add about a teaspoon of your choice of hot sauce in various dots throughout.
    Blackberry Pizza recipe with homemade creme fraiche, pesto, a little hot sauce and Oregon Blackberries
  4. Serve and enjoy!

I and F both really liked how this was a combination of the slightly creamy with hint of tang from the creme fraiche, then the saltiness with bit of pungency from garlic thanks to the pesto, and a little heat and balsalmic acid from the Hatch Sesame Balsamic sauce. YUM!
Blackberry Pizza recipe with homemade creme fraiche, pesto, a little hot sauce and Oregon Blackberries

If you haven’t tried any of Marshall’s Haute Sauce, run to the website and also visit them at the Farmer’s Market. I buy the standard sauces at the store (I think it helps reinforce for the store that these are good products that will sell of their shelf to encourage them to continue ordering), and my favorite of their regular sauces are the Habanero Carrot Curry.

If you visit them at the Farmer’s Market though you can get access to their seasonal specials that they do, varying from his Hatch Sesame Balsamic during the summer to Gin Roasted Pepper to one off collaborations like their Honey Tincture with Serrano Ginger Lemongrass with Bee Local (follow Spicy Marshall on Instagram to hear what the special might be).

What’s your favorite Marshall’s Haute Sauce? What do you think of a fruit pizza, have you  had fruit pizza before?

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A September Dinner at Farm Spirit

September 11, 2015 by 4 Comments

I’ve had Farm Spirit on my wish list for quite a while since they first opened a few months ago in mid June, and recently for our wedding anniversary F and I enjoyed a Saturday evening 12 course dinner there.

Farm Spirit is completely vegan, and their dinners are purchased by ordering online a ticket to one of their 9 or 12 course chef’s choice dinner courses. The tickets prices listed already include a gratuity, though beverages are extra and you can choose from individual wine glasses to individual housemade non-alcoholic drinks, or a flight of either of those. The flights can be pre-purchased on the website, or  you can order the flight or individual drinks at dinner and pay for them then.

Wednesday and Thursdays are 9 courses for $65, and Friday and Saturday nights offer 12 courses at $75. You arrive slightly before 7 PM which is when they open the doors for everyone. When they serve dinner they do so when everyone arrives and everyone gets their courses simultaneously, so don’t be late as you’ll hold everyone else up!
Outside of Farm Spirit at 1414 SE Morrison Street waiting for doors to open (they did around 6:50 for our 7pm dinner) The inside of Farm Spirit consists of 14 seats Inside of Farm Spirit, at seating. Chef Ricardo welcomes us at the door and explains the beverage program while Chef Tim is on the final prep of the first course. Inside of Farm Spirit, at seating. Your placecards have your name from the reservation to indicate your seats. Wall behind the bar at Farm Spirit

The 14 seats inside Farm Spirit are right at a chef’s bar, which will remind you of a omakase bar such as the chef choice dinners at Nodoguro, or Holdfast. You get to watch them plate every course, which is pretty impressive as they plate the next upcoming courses on each side of the two induction burners in the center.

I was pretty excited because F, who is vegetarian, never accompanies me to these kind of chef’s choice fine dining dinners and has never had the experience of seeing chefs running the pass and the incredible art for the eye that these food plates offer besides culinary art for the palate. Also, he has a much better cameraphone than I do (Nokia Lumia 1020 vs my Samsung Galaxy S4) that is incredible at picking up light.
Seating at Farm Spirit Seating at Farm Spirit Inside of Farm Spirit, at seating. Your placecards have your name from the reservation to indicate your seats. Chef Aaron Adams is working on the prep of the second course.

The chefs of Farm Spirit are serious about their food, and serious about service that includes placecards for your assigned seats, replacing napkins when a guest is on a bathroom trip, and changing out silverware a few times (but not every course – each seating has a silverware rest used for a few courses before the next swap).

At the same time, Farm Spirit has a very laid back, playful vibe. During the 3 hour dinner experience, we saw a little dancing, a little singing, and the dining soundtrack varied from Under Pressure to Safety Dance.
Front of Menu on September 5, 2015 at Farm Spirit Back of Menu on September 5, 2015 at Farm Spirit\

As you can expect at a farm to table restaurant like this, the menu changes based on the availability of what is at the Farmer’s Market or the various farms they buy directly from, which Chef Aaron Adams seems to be at pretty much everyday as he listed off seriously half a dozen markets and farms from where he sources his ingredients.

Alongside Chef Aaron is Chef Ricardo (who also is the man behind the handmade drinks and all fermentation be it pickles, kombucha or yogurt) and Chef Tim (tweezer master who also bakes the bread and is responsible for desserts), and the three men pow-wow every week to decide what the dishes will be.

But, here’s what we had on September 5th, 2015.

First Course

Smoked eggplant pureed with fennel jam on housemade bread
Housemade bread, a smoked eggplant pureed, fennel jam

As I enjoyed my Tempranillo for the night, F had ordered the homemade non-alcoholic beverage flight so Chef Rico poured the Watermelon Mint Juice as Chef Adam explained the course and the philosophy of Farm Spirit and where they source their food.
Chef Aaron Adams of Farm Spirit explains the philosophy of the restaurant and where he sources his ingredients Chef Ricardo pours the Watermelon Mint Juice, the first of the housemade non-alcoholic drink flight Watermelon Mint Juice

Second Course

Celtuce, harukei turnips, peach puree, Soarer cucumber, fried walnuts
Celtuce, harukei turnips, peach puree, Soarer cucumber, fried walnuts Celtuce, harukei turnips, peach puree, Soarer cucumber, fried walnuts
This was one of F’s two favorite platings because of the charm the plating of a plant made from plant. This was the dish Chef Aaron was adding the nuts when we first walked in to be seated as Chef Tim worked on plating the third course…

Third Course

Tomato Water, plums, herbs, basil oil, nasturtium capers, cherry tomatoes
Plating of Third Course by Chef Tim at Farm Spirit Tomato Water, plums, herbs, basil oil, nasturtium capers, cherry tomatoes
As casual as Farm Spirit it, still felt too soon to be lifting bowls to our lips to drink every single drop of this course. Not sure we’d be shy the next time we have a bowl presented to us though.

Fourth Course

Summer Squash, ground cherries, arugula sauce, yellow tomato vinaigrette, calendula
Summer Squash, ground cherries, arugula sauce, yellow tomato vinaigrette, calendula
You can’t help but admire what a pain this probably was to prep and plate but with such effect at the end. As Chef Aaron began to plate the next course (we saw the tomato leaves in sauce being warmed by him as we enjoyed this first squash course), Chef Rico finished plating with Chef tim this Summer Squash dish and shifted back to beverage director role as he poured the next homemade non-alcoholic drink, the Earl Grey Kombucha
Teamwork by Chef Tim and Rico in plating the Summer Squash, ground cherries, arugula sauce, yellow tomato vinaigrette, calendula Chef Rico pouring the Earl Grey Kombucha Earl Grey Kombucha

Fifth Course

Squash Blossom stuffed with crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish
Squash Blossom crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish
Chef Aaron read everyone’s minds in explaining that yes, see, tomato leaves are totally edible and his 90 something year old grandmother has been eating them for decades.
Chef Aaron putting together the Squash Blossom crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish Chef Aaron putting together the Squash Blossom crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish

Sixth Course

Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill
Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill
I think the Eggplant was just roasted, grilled, and smoked or some combination that involved more cooking than one fire element, despite being listed as simply eggplant on the menu. I loved how smoky the eggplant was, and the combination with coriander and pollen.
Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill

Seventh Course

Roasted (after Sous-Vide in aromatic herb bath) Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice
Roast Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice Roast Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice
Has a carrot looked so good before?
Roast Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice

Eighth Course

Chanterelles, celeriac puree, chervil, onion cream, chard
Chanterelles, celeriac puree, chervil, onion cream, chard Chanterelles, celeriac puree, chervil, onion cream, chard
We loved how creamy the celeriac puree is to give us richness in this dish. It was dramatic watching this plate begin to be plated given it started with Chef Tim literally firing each plate with a blowtorch.
Chef Tim just literally firing up the plates for the next course Chef Tim just literally firing up the plates for the next course

There was a little too much chervil in this dish for my taste that threw off the balance of the dish,  but still all the plates were scraped clean up and down the chefs bar. This dish was paired with the next homemade drink of the flight, Golden Beet Apple Ginger non-alcoholic beverage
Golden Beet Apple Ginger non-alcoholic homemade beverage at Farm Spirit

Ninth Course

Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation
Chef Aaron painstakingly prepearing the Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation Chef Aaron painstakingly prepearing the Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation Chef Aaron painstakingly prepearing the Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation
Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation

Both F and I loved watching this plating happen since it was being done right in front of us by  Chef Aaron and Tim as they painstakingly arranged each element, picking just the right ingredients down to watching Chef Aaron carefully consider which potato from the roasting pan to use.

Tenth Course

Candied Sungolds, basil, rye, olive oil semi-freddo
Candied Sungolds, basil, rye, olive oil semi-freddo Candied Sungolds, basil, rye, olive oil semi-freddo
Finally, the dessert courses right? So full already… the pairing of homemade beverages for this course was the Melon Pear juice. This was another dish where I thought it was slightly off balance because of the intensity of the basil sauce, though I have to admire its color.
Melon Pear juice

Eleventh Course

Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass
Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass
The white powder you see Chef Tim carefully plating with is olive oil powder. This and the next course were paired with Apple Fennel Thyme Scrub that is diluted a bit with soda water for effervescent bubbles.
Chef Tim plates the Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass course Chef Tim plates the Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass course Apple Fennel Thyme Scrub

Twelfth Course

Seascape Strawberries, aqua faba, lemon filbert cream, sorrel, hardy kiwis
Seascape Strawberries, aqua faba, lemon filbert cream, sorrel, hardy kiwis Seascape Strawberries, aqua faba, lemon filbert cream, sorrel, hardy kiwis
We got to hear a little ode of love to aqua faba by Chef Aaron, who explained that this was a solidfier that can replace the traditional role of eggs in desserts – aqua faba is created from chickpea liquid, which means it is also gluten free and natural instead of a processed starch or gluten or soy. So that meringue you see up there on the plate – I could not tell the difference between one that would have traditionally been made from egg whites. So it definitely works and tastes right.

To finish, we were treated to a hot beverage service which included coffee or tea, and I went with the green tea. Chef Rico also gave us a little goodie bag of zucchini bread for us to remember Farm Spirit by later that night/the next morning.
Warm beverages to finish off the dinner at Farm Spirit - I went with tea while F went with coffee Chef Rico joyfully passes out his zucchini bread wrapped in white paper Chef Rico's Zucchini Bread A goodbye gift from Farm Spirit via Chef Ricardo's zucchini bread

We wanted to enjoy the food upon serving so that we could taste it at the peak of the intended temperature, but each plate was so gorgeous it was hard to limit myself to only 30 seconds of photo taking. I’m curious to see how Farm Spirit will find the upcoming winter where the produce variety dwindles from the summer and autumn bounty, and wish them all the best. I love the concept and the way they focus on really putting together unique flavor combinations. They really celebrate and show off that when you get the best product, you don’t need meat or dairy to enjoy deliciousness.

Farm Spirit Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Pink Rose Happy Hour

September 9, 2015 by 4 Comments

Update: Pink Rose has closed

There have been a couple times as I was walking down NW Lovejoy that I’ve heard lovely music instead of the rumble of cars and the streetcar. Then upon getting closer to NW 13th I am distracted from my errands by the live musicians I  hear playing outside The Pink Rose on their outdoor patio that also has a waterfall and a fireplace.
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose

Although tempted to stop and have a drink, interrupting my errands, it was only when musician friend Brian McGinty was playing one late September afternoon last year that I finally I got to experience their happy hour (4-7 PM weekdays, and happy hour ALL DAY on Tuesdays).
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose

Being able to sit outside with a cocktail and listen to live music without being boxed inside is a wonderful treat.
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose with the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float

It was great, and since then I have been back other times for the tail end of happy hour on Thursdays when they have had live music (check the Pink Rose Facebook page for such events to see who is playing).

They have one standout happy hour item that is worth visiting again and again. And that’s the happy hour $6 pork cheese fries I had that includes Carlton Farms smoked pork, Tillamook cheddar, scallions, Sriracha aioli.
Pink Rose Happy Hour item of happy hour $6 pork fries I had that included Carlton Farms smoked pork, Tillamook cheddar, scallions, Sriracha aioli on fries

Smaller bites might be the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese ($5) or the Bacon wrapped Dates with Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese ($4).
Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Bacon wrapped Dates wtih Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese plus the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese

They also have a few interesting cocktails to choose from on their cocktail menu, like here when I had the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float.
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose with the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose with the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float

Another favorite is the Patio Punch Mason Jar– because it is a quart sized mason jar that you can call whether it is filled with Sangria or Blueberry Basil, Citrus Sage punches with your choice of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, bourbon well or call. I’m not sure if these photos effectively communicate the scale of a jar you have to hold with two hands.
Patio Punch Mason Jar at Pink Rose Restaurant - a quart of your choice of Sangria or Blueberry Basil, Citrus Sage punches with your choice of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, bourbon well or call. Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese plus Bacon wrapped Dates wtih Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese to accompany a Patio Punch Mason Jar (quart size!) of sangria

Besides Happy Hour, Pink Rose’s other main claim to fame is the $14 bottomless mimosas at their brunch, which they do not hold back on at all and serve Saturday and Sunday 9 AM – 3 PM.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go to brunch to enjoy their Fried Chicken and Waffle with Draper Valley Chicken that is buttermilk battered and fried, served on a malted waffle with bourbon syrup. The chicken and waffle entree is both on their regular weekday menu as well as at brunch, so you don’t have to wait until the weekend.
Fried Chicken and Waffle at Pink Rose Restaurant with Draper Valley Chicken that is buttermilk battered and fried, served on a malted waffle with bourbon syrup Fried Chicken and Waffle at Pink Rose Restaurant with Draper Valley Chicken that is buttermilk battered and fried, served on a malted waffle with bourbon syrup

As an extra perk, they hold a Best Instagram contest weekly on Sunday! You have to post your photo on Instagram and tag them with #pinkrosepdx & follow @pinkrosepdx. They select a photo entrant weekly to win a $30 gift card… which you can clearly consider using towards a happy hour pork cheese fries or a mason jar or bottomless mimosa.
Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese, plus Bacon wrapped Dates with Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese to accompany a quart sized Mason Jar of sangria Pink Rose Happy Hour item of happy hour $6 pork fries I had that included Carlton Farms smoked pork, Tillamook cheddar, scallions, Sriracha aioli on fries

My favorite excuse though is still for those fries and a drink al fresco while supporting local musicians.

Pink Rose Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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