LTV???

As in… “lick the vessel” CLEAN. Seriously.

Could mac and cheese be that good??? This is the most American of comfort foods. It’s not something I ever order when dining out, nor want to admit I’m even interesting in trying to master.  But, this is a dish for that cozy occasion when just nothing else will do.  Even our founding father, Thomas Jefferson, decided it was worthy of being served in the White House. Young or old, most of us wouldn’t turn down a perfect spoonful. read more »

Need I say more?

Liquid gold. Nirvana in a cup. A heavenly gift.

Drinking chocolate is all the rage. It’s front page news. We are not reading about hot chocolate. We are guided by lists of what, where, how, and when we can get a cup of drinking chocolate. Does the movie Chocolat come to mind? Vianne (Juliette Binoche) creates a sensational cup of magic for her customers that seems to heal. Her fellow Parisians have been ordering up drinking chocolate at Angelina’s, Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots for over a century. And now Portland has finally caught on to serving up this special brew. read more »

Ahhh…Sunday morning. It all starts with the recognition that it is your day. You roll out of bed when you’re ready, no alarm clock to register. Maybe you’ll just lie there a while, let your mind drift over all the possibilities that lie ahead. What luxury. No need to rush. The day belongs to you. Ahhh, maybe just a few more minutes to lie here and …..but wait, what’s that rumble? My body is talking, my stomach is suggesting…oh yes, I’ve got Sunday morning waffles waiting for me downstairs in the kitchen!!! I was so smart and well prepared last night to ensure the glory of this moment! You swing your legs out of bed and voila! Let the morning begin. read more »

MY GIRLFRIEND, Miss Mavis Brown, arrived on Thanksgiving day last year with her venerable chocolate pie. She had made it once before and was overwhelmed by how incredibly good it was, but noted that it had a tendency to be a bit “sloppy.” Seeing the look of concern on my face, she quickly followed with… “but I’ll bet it was because I hadn’t let it chill overnight first.”  The pie in her hands was thoughtfully chilled overnight, and just needed it’s topping and chocolate shavings. As the evening rolled by, I found myself at the table in conversation while the desserts were being enjoyed in the kitchen. I noticed that the kitchen was now more crowded than the table. I missed the pie’s debut, making it to the kitchen just in time to see the remnants. What was left was a loose mass of chocolate goo. And nobody seemed to care. I learned much from that pie. First-guests will usually eat anything made from chocolate. Second- it was so tasty, it didn’t matter what it looked like. Third, always read through a recipe before assuming it will work.  read more »

IS IT ME, or do you too conjure up goofy images when you think of coconuts? Gilligan’s Island? Coconut shell bikini tops? Tropical drinks with straws on the half shell? Coconuts falling from a tree and bouncing off Curly’s head from a Three Stooges skit? Tropical=casual=fun. Although the coconut has a laid back attitude-who is going to take it seriously when you need a mallet and lots of determination just to get at it’s exotic, sweet flesh?!- it does have some amazing nutritional and beneficial properties. It’s value is overlooked in our newly marketed dietary guidelines, but you may want to think twice before assuming it’s not healthy. I poked around a bit just to get reacquainted with what I had learned as a young consumer growing up in Hawaii. read more »

I AM SO CRAZY for quince. I may have mentioned that in my last entry which heralded their virtues. I have been devouring all that jam and jelly I had made last year but unfortunately it won’t be long now before it’s all gone. It was the largest batch of anything I had ever made, so much so that I shared quite a bit for Christmas gifts. Luckily, I planned to make the most of the 25 pound box of quince that I had bought at a local farm so along with the jam, jelly and preserves making last fall, I put up some quince vodka, or ‘Ratafia. ‘

To alleviate the disappointment of my dwindling supply of jam, I simply open up the pantry, and am instantly reminded of the pleasures yet to come- long, warm days and cool summer cocktails. Stored in the dark, among the cans and bottles on the bottom shelf, is a large eight quart jar filled with quince ratafia ‘to be.’ It has been sitting in there for three months now with the intention of being there for another five. read more »

THE ANCIENT QUINCE…..kind of a mystery fruit.  Neither an apple nor a pear, but of the same Rose family. This was the chosen fruit for the symbol of fertility by the ancient Greeks, who dedicated them to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Quince are native to the area between the Caspian and Black Seas, namely Turkey, Iran and Southern Georgia. Their popularity brought them to South America, Australia, New Zealand and the Mediterranean, where they are commonly eaten raw as well as cooked.

In North America, Quince are on the specialty fruit list, with very few trees in production. Unlike apples and pears which are enjoyed right off the tree with their sweetness,  these bright yellow fruit are very hard, acidic and not naturally sweet. Instead, they are turned into marmalade, jam, jelly and preserves. To me, their flavor is similar to a guava, especially when made into jelly. They give off a wonderful perfume when ripe, close to the smell of roses, so keep a few in a bowl to fragrance the room. When cooked, they turn light pink, and their cooking liquid turns to a deep crimson hue.  If you are lucky enough to get your hands on any of them next Fall, I’ll share a few ways to make the most of them. read more »

IT FEELS GOOD to sit here this morning, in a quiet house, cup of tea keeping me warm while I get back to writing. The past two months have been devoted to taking care of the family. Not much creative kitchen energy emerged during that time…just sustenance. My biggest fan passed away. My mom. The queen of culinary standards. We grew up on her love of quality food-and learned to be comfortable cooks as we experimented on our own.  It’s no wonder that she spent her last few months only wanting the fresh fruits of summer and the home baking coming out of her daughter’s kitchens. Mom left us in style, just as she lived, and what a great feeling it was to be able to share that comfort and love with her. read more »

…OF OUR LABOR, in the garden of course, is a lovely act indeed. Although outside it’s Augtober, crazy days of sun and rain,  the produce is ripening and the offerings are abundant and everyone seems to be sharing. Friends of mine run a wonderful nursery tucked within the area of commercial design shops around the old Norm Thompson building in Northwest Portland. Peter has a natural, graceful hand at growing plants and nurturing them to their full beauty.   His nursery is filled with clever choices of unique and handsome plants. With a handful of admirers popping in daily to talk shop and lend a hand, Peter has created quite a following. So in perfect style, he and Karen have been cooking and sharing a midday meal in the garden weekly, using some of the seasonal produce grown just for that purpose. read more »

THE KITCHEN HAS BEEN QUIET in my house. The oven has kept cool, while the garden heats up. There has been no blog writing and not much time for creating due to a wonderful, but long, run of studio production. Dinners are fast and fresh from the garden. I have been able to pick a random cherry tomato or two so far, but the crop is still on the shy side of ripe. Give it a couple more weeks of sun and I’ll be tomato crazed and wondering why I planted so many plants yet again. The green beans have given the most with a large handful collected almost every day. They are so easy to use well in a cool kitchen. On the shadier side of the garden, the arugula, spinach and bok choy are in full swing. We will be eating well tonight.