Portland Foodie

Recipe for Lemon Sour Cream Waffles

Listen, I love waffles...and not the flat kind, but the big, beautiful Belgian kind. Yes, I have my own Belgian waffle maker, and I am not ashamed to say it. And I am particularly picky about my waffle recipes...the wrong recipe can leave you with a thick, dry mass.

So when I say this recipe makes my heart sing with anticipation...you know it has to be good. It is really easy to make and holds in the refrigerator for a day or so, in the event that you have leftover batter. To be honest, I have only had that happen once in my lifetime, and I am not planning on it happening again. I do save any uneaten waffles (a similarly rare occurrence) in the fridge and then pop them in the oven to warm them up again.

So here's the recipe:

1/2 cup Greek style plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 to 1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp lemon juice

zest from 1/2 lemon

2 cups unbleached white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, sour cream, 1 cup of the milk, lemon juice and zest. Whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Whisk to eliminate any lumps in the flower. Stir in wet ingredients and eggs.

These usually take 3-4 minutes in my waffle maker, but that time will vary dependent upon the type of model you use. I recommend a non stick maker and I still spray the iron with cooking spray between each batch. You haven't really experienced a mess until your waffles are stuck in the deep grooves of the maker.

I love these with just butter and maple syrup, but they are also great with all manner of fruit compotes. Oh, and if you are reading Grocery Gardening, there is an awesome mascarpone and blueberries pancake recipe...it is divine!

Portland Foodie Meme

First, I will start with the obligatory "I never participate in these things"...which in this case, is true. But one of my Grocery Gardening co-authors, Teresa O'Connor of Seasonal Wisdom, sent this in an email and I didn't want to disappoint. I am, however, changing the direction of it a bit. The original meme was a "ten things about you" list. This meme is a "Ten Things about me as a Portland Foodie". Oh, and relax, I am not going to pass this on to you, dear readers.

1. I am in love with our farmer's markets...and for that matter, all of the little neighborhood stands and people selling produce from the back of their truck. Yes, it is less regulation, but it is also free enterprise.
2. Our food carts kick ass, plain and simple. The food that is available right on the streets of our fair city is both amazing and affordable.
3. We have incredible access to fresh, local ingredients. Sometimes I think we get a bit too entitled about it...I prefer to spend time feeling exceptionally grateful for it.
4. Some edibles are so easy to grow here that if you aren't careful, they will take over the landscape.
5. Our restaurants are amazing. Places like Higgins, the Heathman, Bluehour, Portland City Grill create food that truly is worth the price.
6. We have the best mixologists anywhere. Check out Saucebox and Mint for my fave places to get a truly amazing cocktail.
7. We have wineries! Wow, do we have them...quite frankly, I am in love with Van Duzer's saucy little Pinot Noir rose...and yes, I know they aren't right here in Portland, but I am cheating a little.
8. Because we are such a food-centric city, many of us know how to cook...this makes going to a friend's house for dinner a great experience!
9. It is super easy to find all kinds of specialty foods and cooking accoutrement.
10. This is a great city to live in if you need inspiration as a food writer...the recipes practically write themselves!

Michael Pollan On The Daily Show (VIDEO)

"That's the worst sentence I've ever heard said!" Stewart exclaims. "Suddenly the health insurers will have an interest in your health, which right now they don't?!?!" Stewart loves the irony, and so do we.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

I love Jon Stewart and Michael Pollan.

Back to Bakas | Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Port Sauce

Whisk soy sauce and Sherry in medium bowl to blend. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slits on the duck breasts 1/2-inch apart making sure to not cut too deep (not through meat). Place duck, skin side up into glass baking dish. Pour marinade over. Cover duck with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Bring cherries, chicken stock, beef stock, port and thyme spring to boil in a heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup.

via rickbakas.com

YUM! This is a perfect winter dish... Madeira would work well, too

The Best Gravy Recipe

Yesterday, I accidentally created the best gravy recipe on the face of the earth. So before I forget how I did it, I am writing it up in the hopes that you will try it, too and enjoy it as much as I did! This is a turkey and mushroom gravy and is made in a way that is similar to traditional Thanksgiving gravies. The thickener here is not a rue, but a stock and flour mix. And yes, the mushrooms are a critical component here...if you don't like mushrooms, then this is not the gravy for you.

Here's how it all came down:

I had a just roasted turkey, so I drained the pain into a gravy separator, then deglazed the pan with about a half cup of dry white wine and set aside. 

In a large sauce pan, I sauteed fresh, chopped chanterelle mushrooms in olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter, over medium high heat. I cooked until they started to caramelize, then removed them from the pan and set aside. I deglazed the pan with the separated drippings, scraping up every bit of deliciousness, then added the white wine mixture from the turkey pan.

Next, I added the following:

3 cups of chicken stock

1/2 (or so) cup of dry white wine

2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning (bay, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary)

1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning (celery salt, sage, marjoram)

2 cloves of roasted garlic

cracked black pepper

I let this simmer together while I made the thickening mixture. I would suggest not adding salt at this point since the stock and poultry seasoning both have it. If needed, adjust for flavor at the end of cooking.

In a container with a lid, add 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of stock. Give it a good shake until well combined and pour about half of the mixture in the pan while whisking. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let thicken. If needed, add additional thickener...but be aware that too much of a good thing isn't so good anymore (at least in this case). Let it cook for a good 5-10 minutes on a low setting to ensure that the flour has a chance to cook...I mean, who wants to get a mouthful of raw flour? Stir in the mushrooms and you are ready to serve!

Reflecting back, I think there is one additional ingredient that I would add. Next time, I will caramelize a couple of leeks and add to the mix. Though any member of the onion family could be used, leeks have a spectacular flavor that would be a great component for this gravy.

Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Shepards Pie

Earlier in the week, or maybe at the end of last week (my days tend to blend together) I made a pumpkin and butternut squash shepards pie. Now, I thought of this as sort of an every day thing, but when I mentioned it on Twitter, people were astounded! "What? You used a pumpkin for shepards pie?", "You combined a pumpkin with butternut squash?" "You cooked for your family?" (For more hilarity, be sure to check out Good Enough Gardening Podcast, Hoards of Gourds episode).

The answer to all of the above is "Yes!". There are two key things at play here. The first is that shepards pie is really more of a method than a specific dish. There are a hundred variations, making it a great way to use up leftovers. The second is that pumpkin can actually be eaten like sweet potatoes. In fact, pumpkin tastes very similar to sweet potatoes...and to butternut squash, which is why many pumpkin pies are actually made with butternut squash. I happened to have a small sugar pumpkin and a good sized butternut squash, so I combined the two and made a great topping for my pie.

Here's how it all went down:

1 pie-sized pumpkin

1 butternut squash

6 oz broccoli, cut into florets

6 oz carrots, chopped

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb ground turkey

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place broccoli and carrots on sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until browned and tender, 30 minutes or so. Remove and set aside.

At the same time, grab the small pumpkin and butternut squash. Cut in half, remove seeds, place on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn cut side down and roast until tender...anywhere from 30-45 minutes, dependent upon the size. When finished, set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove the outer skins and place the orange flesh into a bowl. Mix together and set aside.

Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Saute turkey, pepper, onion, and garlic together. Add paprika, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until turkey is browned. Push mixture to the outer edges of pan. Add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of flower to the center. Let combination melt and cook for approximately one minute. Whisk in chicken stock, add roasted broccoli and carrots, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.

Take the squash and pumpkin mixture and layer over the top of the filling. Use a spatula to smooth. Place in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until top starts to brown and firm.

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite winter meals...and it is super easy! I would love to hear from you, if you give it a try...

photo by D3 San Francisco

Review of Andre's Restaurant and Confiserie Suisse

A bit of a departure from my usual posts...this is a podcast from Andre's Restaurant and Confiserie Suisse in Denver, CO. Let me start by saying that we received no consideration for this posting.

The following is about a 20 minute cast with my Aunt Ann, Aunt Joanie, Mom (Claire), sister (Kim) and cousin Adrienne. We talk about the importance of this family favorite and interview the owner, Bruno. It is a fun listen as we talk a bit about our family and Bruno's amazing restaurant.

Andres

Seafood Frittata and Savory Bread Pudding

Recently, I spent a couple of days at the Oregon coast with some of my best friends. In addition to lots of laughter, a little crying and some fantastic wines, we had unbelievably yummy food. OK, yes, I made the food, but hey, it was great...if I do say so myself...

What I loved about cooking this particular weekend was the spontaneity of it. My BFF Maryellen of Yoga Cowgirls, was there a day early and bought fresh crab, shrimp, smoked salmon, and clams. My other friends,  Suzanne (an unbelievable energy healer from NM) and Liz (you might know her from Elizabeth Leach Galleries), and I drove up together, stopping at my favorite farm stand on HWY 101, just outside of Tillamook. We snatched up peaches, nectarines, berries, tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions and all manner of baked goods. It was hard to resist buying the big, beautiful pumpkins that were out back in the patch.

I whipped up an awesome dinner...but really, anyone could have with that bounty. As usual, we had way more than we could eat, so I transformed the ingredients into brunch the next day. In addition to a yummy fruit crumble (where I used granola instead of plain rolled oats for the topping), I whipped up a seafood frittata and savory bread pudding. Both are super easy to make and completely delicious...so I thought I would share the recipes.

Seafood Frittata

olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 medium sweet onion

1 heirloom tomato

1 jalepeno

12 eggs

1/2 cup cooked pasta

1/4 lb cleaned crab meat, roughly chopped

1/4 cup smoke salmon, flaked

1/2 cup white cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an oven proof skillet, saute onion and garlic until translucent. In a bowl, break eggs and add just a bit of water. Whisk until yolks are broken and mixture is combined. Add tomato, jalepeno, salt and pepper, stir and pour into skillet. (I had actually made fresh salsa the night before and just used some of that, which you could certainly do, too). Sprinkle in pasta, crab and salmon, use a spatula to gently move the eggs a bit, but don't scramble. When the eggs have started to cook on the bottom, sprinkle cheese across the top of the eggs and place in the oven. Cook until the center is set, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand a couple of minutes, cut and serve.

Savory Bread Pudding

1 loaf of day old bread (we had Italian)

3-4 eggs

2-3 cups of milk

1/4 shredded Parmesan

diced roasted vegetables (grilled the night before...we used two kinds of summer squash and red onion)

3-4 tbsp butter, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop bread into cubes and place in a roasting pan. In a bowl, combine milk, cheese and eggs...the amount will vary dependent upon how much bread you have. It should be enough to cover the bread when pushed down with a weighted pan. Add garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper, whisk to combine. Add roasted veggies, stir and pour over bread. Place a pan on top of the mixture and weight it with a couple of cans of tomatoes. Let stand for 15 minutes or so...remove the pan, and top with butter pieces. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is set in the center.

Both of these dishes are incredibly easy to make...and a great use of leftovers! I hope you give it a try and let me know how it turns out in your kitchen.

Cilantro: A Love/Hate Relationship

If you have listened to the Good Enough Gardening podcast (which is on a brief hiatus, btw, while Amanda settles in to her new job), you likely know how very much I dislike cilantro. It just tastes like soap to me. Yeah, I said it, soap...

As you probably know by now, I am finishing up my second book...and this one is a lot bigger than the first one. Grocery Gardening is a super hip gardening/cooking book that covers the details of growing herbs, vegetables, and fruits...as well as includes a ton of great cooking methods and recipes. We have an awesome chapter on preserving food and a handy dandy chapter that will help you choose edibles at the store when you don't have enough on hand.

As usual, I want my readers to join in on the fun...really, please submit something! If you have great photos, recipes, gardening tips, videos, etc, hop on over to the Grocery Gardening Ning group and share your wisdom. If we choose your (must be original) content, you will be acknowledged in the book and receive a free ecopy of my first book, Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners.

Back to my hating on cilantro...I really need your favorite cilantro recipes...cause you know I am not going to be making any of my own! Leave me a post in the herb group on the Grocery Gardening Ning...anyone have a good cocktail that uses cilantro? For some reason, I am thinking it would be good with tequila...another flavor I absolutely can't stand. But hey, it's not like I am putting up random things I don't like just because I don't like cilantro...I didn't say "try pairing it with tripe or tongue or brains".

And, if you don't have anything good to say about this herb, check out the other tasty herbs, veg and fruit...cause any reader of mine will most certainly have something to say about those... :)

photo by OctopusHat on Flickr

The Resort at the Mountain Review

Last week, the family headed out to The Resort at the Mountain for a bit of R & R and a review. The kind folks at Richmond Public Relations (The Resort's PR firm) offered us dinner and a room on what turned out to be the beginning of Portland's heat wave. Perfect timing, particularly since we don't have an air conditioner. Before I get too far into the story, I want to share the link to the photo album I created. I had way too many great shots to only share two or three. Check out the Resort at the Mountain photo album. 

We headed out on the short hour and fifteen minute drive and decided to stop at Edgefield for lunch. I hadn't been there before and absolutely loved the grounds and my fave burger and tater tots. We ate at the Power Station Theater and bar, but there are like 6 restaurants on the grounds...Did I mention there is a spa? This most definitely requires further exploration in the future.

As the day started to warm up, we made a dash for the car and headed to the mountains. Only a short 45 minutes or so from Edgefield, The Resort was a welcome sight, as was the pool and air conditioned room.

The grounds were absolutely lovely, as was the room. After checking in, I was given a tour by the manager of sales, Ryan Daugherty. He took me through the recently remodeled main lobby, rooms and Altitude Restaurant, to the 27 hole golf course and surrounding area. There are rooms and a clubhouse with a pub in this area, too. Absolutely phenomenal views and at least 10 degrees cooler than Portland. Whew!

 

He also gave me a sneak preview of the spa the resort is adding. It's an absolutely gorgeous building and promises to be a full service spa, complete with a room for special scrubs and what I hope will be a vichy shower. This alone may be reason enough to come back...

While I was touring, the rest of the family took a swim in the pool and relaxed in the hot tub. I could see the pool from our second story patio...again, we had a great view of beautiful landscaping and the center of the complex. The room came equipped with a big flat screen tv and cold air conditioner, so I vegged out for an hour or so before getting ready for dinner. 

At 6, we headed over for the Van Duzer Winemaker's Dinner, co-hosted by the Executive Chef of Altitudes Restaurant, Paul Bosch. I have to admit that the dinner was not all I had hoped it would be. The food was fair, though the flavors were perfect pairings for the wine selections. I particularly liked Van Duzer's Pinot Noir Rose and Dijon Blocks Pinot Noir...really amazing flavors, the Rose being particularly affordable.

Unfortunately, our table companions were fairly obnoxious in discussing their political views and thoughts about  the greatness of Sarah Palin and the problem with "transvestites" (though I don't think the two were mentioned in conjunction).  Clearly, they did not realize they were seated with a couple that truly embodies the "keep Portland weird" philosophy. Though this was no fault of the resort, it really made the dinner unpleasant. The waitstaff at dinner was fantastic, though, and our server Candy kept us well supplied with wine, food and sparkling conversation.

Afterward, my partner and I had coffee and dessert in the Altitudes Restaurant and Bar. Really nice staff and beautiful surroundings.The kids ordered room service and spent a couple of hours chowing down in bed while watching tv, which they loved. Trust e, they never get served meals in bed at home...

The following morning, we went for breakfast at the pub and were seated outdoors with a spectacular view of the golf course. It was their first day serving breakfast and we had a few glitches...ended up waiting an hour to be served...but all in all it was a positive experience. The waitstaff saved the day again with their sparkling personalities.

Overall, I would say the family enjoyed the experience...and this is definitely a family friendly environment. Other than the issue with the dinner, my only other complaint was that some staff was fantastic, others seemed disinterested and uninformed. We had a heck of a time getting a room service menu, as ours was missing from the room. Thankfully, Ryan found someone who could help...and ironically, copies were sitting at the front desk the whole time.

The Resort is about 30 minutes from Timberline and other major ski areas. Because it is at a lower altitude, The Resort gets less snow, which makes it easy to get to in winter months. You can then hop on a shuttle to three ski areas and leave the driving worries behind. We decided to take a drive up to Timberline after checking out...it was a gorgeous day and a wonderful drive. I would recommend trying the ski lift to go to the top of the mountain. FUN!

If you are looking for a fun and affordable stay-cation, The Resort is a self-contained destination with something for all members of the family. Even though it is a short drive from Portland, it feels miles (and degrees) away. In a year when we are all looking to maximize fun on a minimized budget, a trip to the Resort at the Mountain may be just what is needed.