Urbanhour at The Bent Brick

August 2, 2013 by 1 Comment

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

I was excited to be invited to Urban Hour event courtesy of Urbanspoon at the Bent Brick, which has been on my wishlist since it opened last year, but I have never visited. Now I had a fabulous excuse! I’m a big fan of Urbanspoon because of how they aggregate professional reviews as well as blogger posts along with user reviews, so I feel like I can get the full story of experiences before I go to a place. And, just yesterday Urbanspoon announced they are going to partner with another favorite dining out resource of mine, OpenTable, to provide online reservations.

As I approached the Bent Brick (tBB), the red bricks of this neighborhood tavern in the NW area of NW Marshall and 16th/17th welcomed me in a familiar cozy way, though I was pleasantly surprised by the charming outdoor patio area and that one of the walls was a garage door that they rolled up for us to enjoy the summer breeze.
the bent brick, neighborhood tavern, northwest portland the bent brick, neighborhood tavern, northwest portland the bent brick, neighborhood tavern, northwest portland the bent brick, neighborhood tavern, northwest portland

The inside is a mix of lots of brick wall that is echoed in red chairs, though the front lounge area has a cool “jenga” in its center.
jenga lounge at the bent brick, neighborhood tavern, northwest portland the bent brick, neighborhood tavern, northwest portland

I started with the cocktail “damson in distress” with averall plumb gin, rhubarb, lemon, egg white, tea bitters.
the bent brick, place setting the bent brick, the cocktail damson in distress with averall plumb gin, rhubarb, lemon, egg white, tea bitters

We shared lots of starters, including popped beans, smoked salmon chips (accurately bringing to memory Thai shrimp chips), ken’s bread with whipped lardo topped with salt, and the country ham plate, including Johnston County, Fincheville, and Wigwam. All four of these are part of their happy hour menu (happy hour everyday 4-6pm and 9-10pm).
the bent brick, starter of popped beans, appetizer, tavern, drinking snacks the bent brick, starter of smoked salmon chips, appetizer, tavern, drinking snacks the bent brick, starter of ken's bread with whipped lardo topped with salt, appetizer, tavern, drinking snacks the bent brick, starters, appetizer, tavern, drinking snacks the bent brick, starter of the country ham plate, including johnston county, fincheville, wigwam, appetizer, tavern, drinking snacks the bent brick, starter of the country ham plate, including johnston county, fincheville, wigwam, appetizer, tavern, drinking snacks

Then, we were so lucky to be able to see cocktail magic as bartendress Michelle schooled us in making a cocktail called “on the veranda” with mint, strawberry, simple syrup, rhubarb cordial, sage liquor, white verjus, and gin. They were even kind enough to share their rhubarb cordial, as you can see below. Also, how freaking adorable is she?

On The Veranda Cocktail from the Bent Brick, Portland OR
On The Veranda Cocktail from the Bent Brick, Portland OR with mint, strawberry, simple syrup, rhubarb cordial, sage liquor, white verjus, and gin

  • 2 springs mint
  • 1 strawberry
  • 1/4 oz simple syrup
  • 1 ounce rhubarb cordial
    • 2 pounds of rhubarb cleaned and cut into one inch pieces
    • 1 cup of sugar
    • 1 liter of vodka
  • 1/2 ounce sage liquor
  • 1/2 ounce white verjus
  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1 dash angostura bitters

First, for the rhubarb cordial: combine the ingredients for the rhubarb cocktail and shake it all up good, then keep chilled for up to one month but shake daily. Are you kidding, this would not last a month.

For the On the Veranda cocktail itself, muddle the mint, strawberry and simple syrup together. Then pour in that 4 ounces of other ingredients (wow! 2 ounces gin!) and shake it all up! Double strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a mint sprig.

Then we returned to the table and after sipping a taste of that amazing On the Veranda Cocktail, we were treated to more delicious food. Someone at the Bent Brick clearly knows drinking food: duck fat jojos with ranch, TBB Hot Dog with house ketchup and mustard, were were easting two more winning options available on their happy hour menu. I was soooo happy that I got to try the duck fat jojos because I had been eyeing that ever since I first saw the menu when I got the invitation. I maybe had 3 of those jojos too. They were just so crispy but not oily on the outside, but soft potato wedge goodness on the inside. I didn’t even need the ranch dressing they came with.

In addition, whaaa! There was a Hamburger Dog (because Scott Dolich of Park Kitchen, after explaining how the hot dog migrated from Park Kitchen to here at the Bent Brick, admitted that he just didn’t want to ever do burgers. And thus… a burger dog!) with cheese, bent sauce, and relish. Scott told us how his grilled squid salad with Mendocino seaweed and potatoes come s from his East Coach beach memories merging with the irresistible umami of seaweed. Also unexpectedly adorable: tea sandwiches with tomato, cucumber, gin, and goat cheese.
duck fat jojos from the bent brick, portland, neighborhood tavern, drinking food TBB Hot Dog with house ketchup and mustard, portland, neighborhood tavern, drinking food the bent brick, Scott Dolich Hamburger Dog with cheese, bent sauce, and relish from the bent brick, portland, neighborhood tavern, drinking food grilled squid salad with Mendocino seaweed and potatoes from the bent brick, portland, neighborhood tavern, drinking food tea sandwiches with tomato, cucumber, gin, and goat cheeses from the bent brick, portland, neighborhood tavern, drinking food

My favorite dish though was the side of smashed chickpeas that had an earthy creaminess from the chickpeas but a light coolness yet something that brightened it from what turns out to be sour cream and Frank’s hot sauce. Meanwhile, the cocktail of the bearded lady with bourbon, strawberry shrub, hum, salt and pepper was loved by everyone at the table, and was the perfect finish to the meal for me.
side of smashed chickpeas from the bent brick, portland, neighborhood tavern, drinking food cocktail of the bearded lady with bourbon, strawberry shrub, hum, salt and pepper was loved by everyone at the table, the bent brick

Clearly, the Bent Brick is specializing in comfort bar food that does try to push tavern snacks beyond the regular American fare of burgers and nachos and salted nuts. This is a change from its original concept which seemed more a exploratory deconstruction viewpoint that tried to push it farther than Scott’s other restaurant Park Kitchen, but then meant customers weren’t always sure what they would be getting. It looks like they have retreated from that to items that are more comfortable and recognizably home-y but definitely have a slight edge on them to provide a little mystery and surprise to the familiar. The duck fat jojos, hamburger dog and the smashed chickpeas, and all their cocktail concoctions (other ones I lusted after included their housemade beet shrub soda or pomegranate soda with choice of vodka, gin, or whisky, or the “g and tea” cocktail with smalls gin, lavender syrup, white verjus and black tea, or the “barrel and branch” cocktail with spruce tip ice cube, gin, heather cordial, and white pepper) being examples of this where it just had a little more something something.

Thank you to Urbanspoon, the Bent Brick, and Little Green Pickle. And, check out other fellow bloggers (soooo cool to all be taking photos together and gushing about deliciousness past, present, future!!) from the event:

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

June 21, 2013 by 4 Comments

Disclosure: This was a complimentary event I attended that was hosted by Kettle Chips and Snooth, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

Recently I was invited and attended an event with many other Portland bloggers as well as other guests of Snooth, to the Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour! at the Loft on Belmont space of Vibrant Table Catering & Events. At this Happy Hour event, Snooth and Kettle Brand Potato Chips were showcasing the 8 finalist recipes from their Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-off Competition.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

The idea between Pros vs Joes is that four of the recipes were created by professional chefs (Pros) and four created by Kettle Brand fans (Joes) finalists. After a nationwide call to duty where various Joes submitted the recipes and a social voting period, four finalist recipes made it to the top and they were flown to Los Angeles where they prepared their creation for an audience. In addition, 2 more events to sample and compare the Pros and Joes were held, This was the west coast edition, as earlier in the week they had held this same event in New York / east coast edition. In this event though, a professional kitchen was preparing it, and added to the lineup of 8 was a bonus recipe using the Kettle chip from the local professional kitchen.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth  Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

While a few of my fellow Portland bloggers were judging, I was also able to taste these top hors d’oeuvres and enjoy complimentary open bar where Snooth offered a chance to try the suggested wine or beer they had paired with the item. For the white, Snooth had selected for the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines. In addition, beer options included local brews Widmer Hefeweizen, Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout. I only drank the wines, but enjoyed both of them (what, I had to try both based on the Snooth suggested pairings. You know this is work).

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, local brews Widmer Hefeweizen, Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout beer

The first taste to come out was a Joe recipe of Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin, which utilized the Kettle Cheddar Beer chip infused as part of the dry rub and mustard pre-cooking before smoking. This was very flavorful with the porky smokey taste with the bit of tang but also hint of savory cheese, though we wished the potato chip itself was a bit more pronounced and noticeable such as by being added as a bit of crunchy crust. Check out the recipe here.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin

Of course, it then turns out the very next dish served up that very idea, where a Joe recipe gave us Kettle Brand Jalapeno Jack chip contributed to a Potato Chip Crusted Quiche by serving as the potato chip crust. This is where it should be mentioned again that the recipe submitters were not preparing this for us, but the culinary kitchen here was doing their best to follow/interpret the recipe. We learned that for instance apparently in New York, they had made individual mini-quiches, while here you can see we are given sliced small pieces, and apparently more bacon than our east coast counterparts! In this case, a potato chip crust seems to imply some crispiness, but in what we had it felt heavy and the Jalapeno Jack flavors seemed to get lost. Check out the recipe here.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Jalapeno Jack chip contributed to a Potato Chip Crusted Quiche

The third tasting was our first Pro recipe, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese, so here is another example of an interpretation by a kitchen because depending on the size of the chip and the size of the terrine (the recipe calls for a 1×1 inch square) the bold flavors of the salt and vinegar of the chip could overwhelm the terrine. The suggested pairing from Snooth was a Suavignon Blanc wine or Pilsner beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese

Another Pro recipe came out, this was the Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips further “loaded” with Candied Bacon, Sour Cream, Chive, Eggplant and Sharp Cheese. This got rave reviews by some who liked the emphasis of loaded flavor, while others wondered the creativity of layering the same flavors of the chip on the chip. The Snooth suggested pairing here was a Pinot Noir or Ale beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips further loaded with Candied Bacon, Sour Cream, Chive, Eggplant and Sharp Cheese

Next was a freebie that was not part of the competition, a Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chip with Guacamole and Roasted Corn Custard. Many people loved the bright clean cool flavors and creamy textures here that melded well  to counterbalance and complement with the slight kick of the crispy (of COURSE) chip.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chip with Guacamole and Roasted Corn Custard

We were back to a Joe with this which I probably had about 4 of these, the Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips as part of the breadcrumb mixture, which definitely did pay off in a lot of really great crunch. Check out the recipe here. One person at my table noted that although the recipe calls for frying the eggplant in one inch of oil in a skillet, we could imagine also baking this successfully, and it was a pretty straightforward recipe. The Eggplant Dippers are the ones I will most likely try to make myself.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips

Another Pro recipe: Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chips showcased in Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion. This was a little difficult to eat balancing that chicken on the chip to your mouth, but very tasty, and adding the buffalo bleu chips and panko together added great flavor to the chicken. The Snooth suggested pairing here was a Pinot Noir or Ale beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion

The next one didn’t take much to guess it was a Pro recipe: Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips. I could totally imagine ordering multiple of these at a restaurant happy hour, the flavors really were zingy.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips

And finally, the last taste of the 8 was the Joe recipe for Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips. This one seemed to suffer from an execution in that the chicken was a bit dry, and a bit greasy, perhaps left in the deep fryer too long? The recipe card was pretty intimidating, and it starts with 12 thawed boneless skinless chicken thighs! Check out the recipe here. The suggested pairing from Snooth was a Suavignon Blanc wine or Pilsner beer, or a Margarita Cocktail!

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips

You can check out other submitted recipes here, at the official Snooth and Kettle Chip Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Website. The website shows recipes for other flavors of Kettle Chips, including recipes for even MORE of the Kettle Chip flavors. You didn’t notice any use of say, Barbecue flavor, or New York Cheddar, or the new Maple Bacon flavor up there after all..

Thank you to Snooth and Kettle Chip for putting together this event, and now I remember how addictive those Kettle Chips are… I had to hide the chip bag from the table display/recipe table in order to control myself and F from eating a whole bag immediately. And now that I looked at their site and saw all these other chip flavors, I think I’m in snack trouble!

Also, it was wonderful to see other fellow Portland bloggers, such as A Well Crafted Party, The Spicy Bee, A Tiny Rocket, Will Run for Pasta,  and nice again to see Talk. Eat. Drink. Portland. and Salt. Water. Coffee. and I was able to meet the voice behind a new blog to follow, What’s for Dinner, Mama? She was asked to help judge, so check out her blog entry Winning All The Chips for her perspective of the event and tastings!

Disclosure: This was a complimentary event I attended that was hosted by Kettle Chips and Snooth, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Accanto – Portland Dining Month + Urbanspoon

June 19, 2013 by 14 Comments

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary/provided by Urbanspoon, but they did not require that I write this review.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

I am running out of steam for Portland Dining Month, and thought after the date night at Quartet (upcoming post), that would be the end of it. But, I was thrilled to see in my email inbox from Urbanspoon an invitation to attend an event at Accanto. Accanto is the more casual enoteca sibling to its next door neighbor, fine dining prix fixe and historic Genoa. Both share the same pasta making genius and executive chef Jake Martin and sommelier Michael Garofola, who stopped to chat about Accanto with us for a while about the goals of Accanto and admire the sunshine streaming through the windows. Apparently they keep him in the dark wine cellar 🙂

The airy bright space of Accanto with clean lines of natural wood feels warm and open. There are seats by the window for casual glass of wine and small plates or at the bar, or you can sit at the countertop by the open kitchen to watch the magic happen, or to the sides of the long rectangular space for a bit more privacy with your dining party. Be sure to check out the chalkboard by the bar, which lists the specials. I forgot to take any photos of the insides- I’ll try to correct that in the future.

I was so excited to receive an invitation from an Urbanspoon Event Planner for its first Urban Hour in Portland. This event gave me an opportunity to visit Accanto to sample some of Accanto’s signature dishes and the opportunity to meet and network with other foodies in the Portland area who also participate in Urbanspoon as reviewers, and also an opportunity to meet Carrie Welch.

Carrie is the co-founder of Feast Portland, organizer of an amazing food festival this coming September that includes speakers, panels, chef collaborative brunches and dinners, outdoor markets, cooking demonstrations, competitions, classes… it’s like high quality food channel, but all LIVE and IN PERSON over 4 wonderful days in a setting that is as intimate as a an industry conference of just a few hundred people. And Carrie was so laid back and cool and excited about food, I guess I had this impression that someone who helped produce the insane awesomeness of Feast would be intense and maybe a bit frenetic, but she seemed so approachable and like you could just hang at the bar. I think I successfully held myself back from squeeeing. I think.

I came in to Urban Hour expecting just perhaps a cocktail and a few small plates, but was blown away to hear we would get to taste the Portland Dining Month menu… which means you still have an opportunity to also have this wonderful meal yourself!

You may think Accanto is like any other moderate Italian neighborhood stop, but that’s where you would be wrong. They really take advantage of unique, perhaps even previously never heard of ingredients and bring them to your tastebuds to help you explore how much more is out there. Do not expect your regular Italian food here.

For instance, the first course started with marinated olives and spiced almonds. Sounds simple enough right? But what the heck were these teeny tiny olives I see placed before me- they were almost the size of the almonds, most were half the size. Seriously, if I had the sense to have asked for a piece of bread, I think I might have also poured the marinated olive oil on the bread and eaten that to finish the little container.
Accanto, Portland, restaurant: first course of marinated olives and spiced almonds

Meanwhile, I couldn’t resist trying a few cocktails. I did it for you, it’s all for you. I sipped a bit of my friend’s cocktail, the Lion’s Tail with Temperance Trader Barrel Strength Bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, lime and simple which had a nice refreshing beginning that then swirled in spice for an interesting complex but light sipper. Meanwhile, my Guadalajara cocktail with Espolon Blanco Tequila, St Germain, lime, honey, rocks and salt also was refreshing with a nice balance of sweetness and hint of sour that made me long for ocean waves and a beach umbrella over my lounge chair.
Accanto: cocktail of Lion's Tail with Temperance Trader Barrel Strength Bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, lime and simple Accanto: Guadalajara cocktail with Espolon Blanco Tequila, St Germain, lime, honey, rocks and salt Accanto: Guadalajara cocktail with Espolon Blanco Tequila, St Germain, lime, honey, rocks and salt Accanto: Guadalajara cocktail with Espolon Blanco Tequila, St Germain, lime, honey, rocks and salt

For the second course we had the soup of the day, which was described as a potato leek soup with a cream base, everyone was surprised that it was a chilled soup. I found it quite tasty, with a bit of the black pepper lingering to balance out the soft smooth thick soup. The other option for the second course was the salad with arugula, radish snap peas, basil and ricotta salata, I had to wipe my face from the long slivers of arugula and radish punctuated by the bits of the salty ricotta salata and pretty edible flower petals.
Accanto: second course of a chilled potato leek soup Accanto: salad arugula, snap peas, radish, basil vinaigrette and ricotta salata, and a few edible flower petals for touch of pretty

My cocktail was replaced by a new one I ordered, the Meads’ Knees with Beefeater Gin, GL Dansk Mead, honey and lemon up. I can drink this all summer long baby, this was so crisp, light and lovely, with an airy sweet carefreeness to it. You know after you pull all the weeds in the yard on a Sunday afternoon and then come in and have that tall glass of lemonade- that’s what this feels like, just the “aaahhhhhhhhh….”.
Accanto: Meads’ Knees with Beefeater Gin, GL Dansk Mead, honey and lemon up

The main courses, the third course were two pasta options, one of potato gnocchi, lamb bolognese, mint and pecorino that had a chewful of doughy gnocchi and nice tangy savoryness to the sauce, though part of me wish they could have seared the gnocchi a bit or added something for a bit of a crispy or crunchy hint to the softness of the dish. I often hear how gnocchi should be pillowy soft, and I have had some that were ethereal and just melted in my mouth. I had to hold myself back from forking too many of my friend’s dish here also though, but these gnocchi are more substantial soldiers that are a bit more toothsome but definitely not tough, they were staunch, hearty little bites of comfort. Think of them as firm pillows instead of feather pillows, both kinds I would be glad to rest my head / take bites of as they gallantly balance and carry the rich lamb bolognese to me.

I really liked my dish as I took each bite of the capellini with samphire, garlic, chili, and fennel seed. Samphire, which I had never heard of, and which was my word for the day, is a grassy vegetable that reminded me a bit of water spinach, but much thinner and younger, sort of the texture of the adolescent years after a baby microgreen has grown up but not quite to the teenage years of a rapini.

This went beautifully with the capellini: as you can see they are basically the same size between noodle and vegetable. So they intertwined as equally matched dance partners as I twirled it on my fork, punctuated now and then by the red pepper and garlic and fennel for some interplaying types of heat that never got spicy, but yet was there, bringing it all together by providing the simple music, making this capellini and samphire pairing seem so natural.
Accanto: potato gnocchi, lamb bolognese, mint and pecorino Accanto: capellini with samphire, garlic, chili, and fennel seed
Accanto: capellini with samphire, garlic, chili, and fennel seed Accanto:

We then wrapped up with dessert (yes, there was more!!) of Rose panna cotta with strawberries and lambrusco. I couldn’t bear to leave a bite behind even though I was so full from the generous portion of the above pasta, which I also made sure to leave no strand behind.
Accanto: Rose panna cotta with strawberries and lambrusco

See what I mean by how Accanto seems like the so casual next door neighbor, but can surprise you with sophistication because it turns out your neighbor is actually a multi-millionaire living below his means and it turns out he has some really interesting vacation stories to tell.

They had the menus on the table briefly as we were chatting with cocktails before the olives and almonds and I already wanted to be back (before they mentioned we were eating a 3 course meal, I was already wondering if they would find me weird/stalkery/gluttonous if I stayed and ordered more plates after the event… turned out I had no room after dinner) to try out a small plate of “Burrata  strawberries, favas, wrinkled crinkled crumple cress “. Crumple Cress? What are you?? WHAT?! I WANT YOU.

Make your Portland Dining Month reservations via OpenTable so that Downtown Portland will also make a donation to the Oregon Food Bank if you go this month! Remember, Portland Dining Month only lasts until the end of June!

Thank you, Urbanspoon, for helping to introduce me. I also really enjoyed chatting with other food lovers- while not everyone was a food blogger specifically (though several were bloggers), we were definitely all appreciators of foods that have opinions and like the ability at Urbanspoon to explore a wider deeper resource for researching deliciousness, since Urbanspoon allows linking to more full content. Particularly, I like looking there to read reviews in the media as well as on blogs where I can get full stories of the experience as both professional and amateur reviewers are aggregated there on a restaurant review page.

I was pleased to see Urban Bliss Media again, and also meet in person for the first time the wonderful authors of Salt. Water. Coffee. and Talk. Eat. Drink. Portland. who made me wish my blog name had more clever dramatic statements to it (hee), as well as make the acquaintance of Mommy Travels and Urbanspoon reviewer Navalis and… man, I should have taken a photo of the signin sheet we dutifully all signed at the end of the night, I will stalk everyone from the event that was there dutifully and see if I can update this. Make sure you check out these other peeps for more good food advisers to add to your list, and perhaps see their take on the event!

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary/provided by Urbanspoon, but they did not require that I write this review.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

Check out my other Portland Dining Month escapades: I ate at Quartet, Accanto, Urban Fondue, Fratelli, H50 out of my initial list!

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The Four Seasons Farm Gardener’s Cookbook Review

May 20, 2013 by 7 Comments

Recently, I read and tried some recipes from The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook, From the Garden to the Table in 120 Recipes, authored by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman. Both have been operating the Four Season Farm for more than 20 years, and have been involved professionally in farming and teaching (both in authoring/publishing and hosting the series Gardening Naturally for the Learning Channel 1993-2003, among other credentials) for more than 35 years, with more than 75 years experience between both of them. You can read more about them in the New York Times profile from last year “The Land That Keeps Giving“.

The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce

This extensive background and experience of this couple really shows in the first half of the Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook, which actually focuses on the Garden rather than food recipes-  you can interpret it really as the first half being a Garden “Cook”book, and then the second half is the Table, with the promised 120 recipes and traditional cookbook.

I have been an urbanite whose gardening skills never have been explored more than growing a few of my favorite herbs of basil, dill, thyme, and Thai chili peppers, annually, so you can take this review as someone who is a total newbie to gardening, much less farming produce or anything beyond a windowsill box.

The book starts from the ground up- literally. The first chapter helps you identify what kind of soil you have, teaches you the difference between types of soil and how to improve your soil. The next chapters expound into how to think about and then decide on the size and layout of your garden, how to rotate different crops in your garden whether it be through a single year across seasons or across years. They then present six options of different kind of garden themes varying from one that is focused on producing lots of quick and satisfying results in the smallest space (The Salad Garden) to a theme of  dependable crops (The Hard Times Garden) or one that you don’t have to reseed every year because they are perennial or produce seeds (The Self Reliant Garden).

There is one chapter that goes into depth on each possible crop (grouped by family as they require similar care in growing). One example is spinach, talking about the differences between the taste of spinach through the season, giving advice on how to grow it, then harvest it, then store it, and finally various options to cook it- and they expand this to include almost 70 kinds of produce you might be considering to grow. This is probably going to be the chapter that I thumb through over and over as I encounter beautiful items in the farmers market, as I look up the produce and read suggestions on ways to cook and enjoy it. Although this chapter is technically in the Garden portion of the book with its advice on growing and harvesting, the information on storing and cooking it are definitely Table territory.

Each of these chapters is written with the voice that has clearly done everything that has been written and can provide tips. The voice is aware of both the science of how to make decisions based on the reality of various situations and talking through all of the data and information you might use to analyze and decide or more efficiently garden (such as offering advice on tools or watering techniques or weed control)- aka extremely practical- while also catering to the art of garden as an emotionally fulfilling enterprise by detailing the rich colors and textures and beauty of nature and feeling of productivity and satisfaction of feeding plants and them feeding us in return. At one point, the authors note how as each crop is ready you feel like the year is full of “little festivals” of produce.

In this first half of the book, pictures and illustrations abound, enticing you with beautiful photos of produce  you too can grow, or step by step of saving tomato seeds, or various map layouts of gardens or charts for crop rotations. So I was a little disappointed there were not more photos in the second half for the recipes. There are definitely some beautiful whole page layouts of some of the recipes, but many recipes have no photo, or at most a small photo of one of the ingredients of the recipe but not the dish itself. I am definitely a visual person, and the recipes I tried ended up being ones that had accompanying photos of the finished dish.

Her recipes are simple (she calls her style  “prosperous peasant”), featuring the freshness of the ingredients, all from scratch and the majority of the components which can come fresh from the garden… or in my case, purchased from the farmers market and someone else’s garden. Since asparagus has been looking so beautiful at the market that was one of the first recipes I picked out to try.

Asparagus Goldenrod

The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe

This recipe comes from Barbara Damrosch and her mother, and is named for the grated egg yolk that appears like goldenrod pollen. I chose to use two types of bread (paesano and seedy grain), but did not remove the crusts (and whoever styled the dish for the food photo did not either!). As an homage to what Barbara and Eliot stand for, I used everything from the Portland farmers market or Local Choice Market except the butter and black pepper.

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 4 large eggs (mine are from Stiebrs Farm)
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used Garry’s Meadow Fresh Jersey whipping cream)
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) of shredded Gruyere cheese (or, since I didn’t find a local Gruyere, I used a Gruyere-like cheese, Adams Alpine from Cascadia Creamery)
  • 40 medium size fresh asparagus spears
  • 4 large or 8 small slices of whole grain bread, crusts removed
  • 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Hard cook the eggs by placing the 4 eggs in a saucepan and adding enough water to cover the eggs. Bring the water to simmer over high heat, then immediately lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water and fill the pan with cold water to cool the eggs for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Peel the eggs and remove the yolk carefully so they remain whole. They should be firm enough to now grate. Coarsely chop the egg whites and set aside for the sauce.
  3. Pour the cream into a medium size skillet and bring to slow simmer over medium heat, stir, stirring constantly, until it has thickened. Gradually add the grated cheese, stirring until it has melted and is smooth. Add the egg whites, and keep the sauce warm over low heat.
  4. Toast the bread and then butter (optional), putting them on the plate you plan to serve with.
  5. Trim the asparagus spears to about 5 inches in length, and steam until the asparagus is tender, 2-5 minutes. (Or, you can roast or grill the asparagus, whatever you’d like.) Distribute the asparagus spears over the pieces of toast, and then cover with the creamy sauce. Top with the grated egg yolk and some black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe

Barbara advises that depending on the season, you can easily substitute broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, leeks, garlic scapes, etc for the asparagus. For most of the recipes there is a “Try This Too” section that suggests some variations to try. She often also suggests other dishes to serve with to make a complete complementary meal. She suggested a salad and a dessert of fresh fruit for this, but I made her Green Gazpacho that celebrates the bounty of greens with green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives. Barbara also notes that you might also try adding green tomatoes, or tomatillos, to this “chlorophyll explosion, refreshing and pungent”.

Green Gazpacho

Ingredients (serves 4 as a main course, 6-8 as an appetizer):

  • 1 medium to large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into small chunks (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1-2 (I used 2) green jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 medium size cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (approximately 3/4-1 cup)
  • 2 medium sized ribs celery, coarsely chopped (approximately 2/3 cup)
  • 6 scallions (white and green parts), coarsely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
  • 1 cup (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup or 4 teaspoons raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I happened to use blood orange olive oil)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (you can also substitute tofu here)
  • 1 tablespoon very finely chipped fresh chives

Directions:

  1. Combine the bell and jalapeno peppers, cucumber, celery, and scallions and stir briefly. Put half the mixture into a food processor with 1 cup water and pulse until the mixture is just pureed, about 30 seconds. Return this to a large bowl (I used one that was 2.5 quarts).
  2. Repeat the above with the second half of prepped veggies + 1 cup water , but this time also adding the parsley, cilantro, agave syrup, lime and lemon juice, dash of salt and black pepper. Combine both purees in the large bowl, and add the olive oil and stir to mix. Taste and add salt or ground pepper as desired (this soup tastes best with enough salt to accent the flavors).
  3. Refrigerate if not serving right away. When serving, pour the gazpacho into individual bowls or glasses. Top each serving with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sour cream and a pinch of chives.

The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Green Gazpacho recipe, green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives, spring soup recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Green Gazpacho recipe, green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives, spring soup recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Green Gazpacho recipe, green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives, spring soup recipe

Barbara Damrosch will be at POWELL’S BOOKS AT CEDARS HILL CROSSING (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. Beaverton) on THURSDAY, MAY 30TH at 7pm to say hi and find out more about The Four Seasons Farm Gardener’s Cookbook (and get signed copies) she co-authored (she helped write the first half, and did most of the second half), or get advice about gardening. Barbara also authors a weekly column A Cook’s Garden in the Washington Post, seriously she is amazing.

Disclosure: This book was provided by Workman Publishing for me to review.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Chard Story- the continuation of that fresh pasta into dinner

May 17, 2013 by 3 Comments

Chard Story. It starts as a gift of chard from Kumi, (Kusuma of Ruchikala, and the amazing goddess behind the Ruchikala spring pop up dinner I blogged about previously) hooking me up with goodness from Blue House Greenhouse Farms (an urban farm in Portland). I decided to have the chard simply sauteed with garlic in olive oil, and served tossed with fresh fettuccine (as covered in the last post). I also made fresh ricotta (I am planning to bake the ricotta with mushrooms but knew I had some extra to spare) and added a sprinkle of asiago and called it delicious dinner.

Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard sauteed with garlic in olive oil with fresh ricotta and fettuccini

Don’t you love how beautiful chard is when it’s all leafy like a big fan, and then after you cut it how it’s like colorful streamers?

If you are interested in supporting local, urban farming, and sustainable farming practices, Blue House Greenhouse Farm has a seasonal farmstand every Tuesday afternoon at the SW corner of N Williams and N Cook- and Kusuma is often there with her fresh homemade baked breads or curries (such as sag paneer using the spinach from Blue House Greenhouse Farm), and they also have a subscription service (although it looks from the website it is currently full!) so check them out!

Disclosure: This chard was gifted to me by a friend, but I knew that it came from Blue House Greenhouse Farm. They did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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