Food Lover's Guide to Portland is my 2010 book from Sasquatch Books. This blog is a collection of some of the research, recipes, images and culinary adventures that went into it. I started the blog in February 2009 as a companion piece to the book and to help organize my thoughts while researching and writing it. I didn't think I'd like blogging but it turns out I really do. I'm currently working on the Toro Bravo Cookbook for McSweeney's Books due out in fall 2013.
This Thursday night is the Third Annual Portland Fermentation Festival and we really hope that you’re either participating as an exhibitor or volunteer or planning on attending to sample all of the awesome homemade food ferments that will be available! It’s going to be delicious and so much fun. It always is…
And just so you know, even if you aren’t signed up as an exhibitor please feel free to bring any homemade food ferments, cultures, recipes, info. etc. to share with others on the fly. This event is very unique in that it’s a no sale/no buy, skill-sharing night. (Check out last year’s Portland Fermentation Festival.) In other words, you pay your $5 to get in and then it’s all about interacting, trying tasty things and hopefully learning enough to make them yourself. It really is unique and we’re proud that Portland Fermentation Festival so accessible and fun for all ages without any corporate ties.
Come out and see for yourself — find out what’s stinkiest and tastiest this year! See you Thursday I hope.
Third Annual Portland Fermentation Festival
Open to the public, all ages When: Thursday, October 20th 6-8pm Where:Ecotrust’s Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center on the second floor, 721 NW 9th Ave., #200, Portland, OR What: Sample and learn about all sorts of food and drink ferments Cost: $5 at the door info@portlandfermentationfestival.com Twitter @PDXFermentFest
Facebook Portland Fermentation Festival
We’re in countdown mode now for this year’s third annual Portland Fermentation Festival on Thurdsay, October 20th from 6-8pm at Ecotrust! We’re still accepting applications from folks who want to sample their homemade fermented food and drink. Here’s the entry form. And we’re also looking for more volunteers to help set up and break down and work the door. If you’d like to volunteer please send us an email at info at portland fermentation festival dot com. Also, if you want to help spread the word please print out some of these posters and put them up around town. See you at the Portland Fermentation Festival in a few short weeks!
Third Annual Portland Fermentation Festival
Open to the public, all ages When: Thursday, October 20th 6-8pm Where:Ecotrust’s Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center on the second floor, 721 NW 9th Ave., #200, Portland, OR What: Sample and learn about all sorts of food and drink ferments Cost: $5 at the door info@portlandfermentationfestival.com Twitter @PDXFermentFest
Facebook Portland Fermentation Festival
I’m so happy to announce that we’ve set a date for the third annual Portland Fermentation Festival — Thursday, October 20th 6-8pm at Ecotrust! Thank you SO much Ecotrust for kindly allowing us to stink up the space yet again! We couldn’t do it without you.
And we couldn’t do it without YOU! We hope that you will come out and celebrate the wide world of fermented food and drink with us this year. More than 500 of you did last year so maybe you’ll each bring a friend and we can double attendance. Actually, that might be a little too crowded.
If you don’t know about the Portland Fermentation Festival listen up. At PFF you get to hang out with fellow food/drink fermenters, exchange cultures and recipes, get advice from local food fermentation enthusiasts, and sample everything from sour pickles, miso and kefir to cheese, hard cider, and mead. Good stuff.
We’ll be getting more details out in upcoming weeks here and over at the official website but for now the main issues to attend to are 1.) Sign-up to sample fermented food and drink at the event here 2.) Shoot us an email if you’d like to volunteer at the door or for set-up/clean-up at info at portland fermentation festival dot com. In exchange for volunteering you’ll get good things, we promise.
Check out some previous Portland Fermentation Festival coverage:
Third Annual Portland Fermentation Festival
Open to the public, all ages When: Thursday, October 20th 6-8pm Where:Ecotrust’s Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center on the second floor, 721 NW 9th Ave., #200, Portland, OR What: Sample and learn about all sorts of food and drink ferments Cost: $5 at the door info@portlandfermentationfestival.com Twitter @PDXFermentFest
Facebook Portland Fermentation Festival
Lucky number 8 wins two free tickets for this year's Vegan Iron Chef!
Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word about the next Sunday, July 10th Vegan Iron Chef Competition and to everyone who commented on my last post about tasty vegan food. Lucky #8 commenter Lindy is the winner of two tickets to this awesome event! (So sad that I’ll be out of town for it.) Lindy, please drop me an line at info at liz crain dot com for ticket details. Congratulations!
For those of you who don’t have tickets already the advance tickets have sold out BUT there will be a limited number available at the door the night of the event. So definitely try your luck again because it’s going to be a super fun event. Also, head over to the Vegan Iron Chef Competition website for more details on how to volunteer for the event and do other related stuff.
Here’s a little more info. from the press release:
Three chefs from the community’s favorite establishments will prepare dishes inspired by an unveiled secret ingredient for a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience, while the event is live-streamed to anticipated thousands.
The event will be co-hosted by bestselling cooking author Isa Chandra Moskowitz of The Post Punk Kitchen and local artist and zinester Nicole J. Georges.
Live music, exhibitors, sampling, trivia, and raffle prizes round out this can’t-miss event.
Tickets ($12 in advance/$15 door; $100 VIP tasting seats) are available at VeganIronChef.org. Sponsorship opportunities available now.
Vegan Iron Chef is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, OR, with a mission of spreading the message of veganism by showcasing the art of vegan cuisine and celebrating community. Other cities are encouraged to join the Vegan Iron Chef network, hold their own competitions, and unite for regionals and finals in upcoming years.
Below is one of this year’s fierce competitors. Go Morgan!
Cheer your favorite competitor on at this year's Vegan Iron Chef!
Ready for delivery. Tyler and his coffee dispenser for St. Johns Coffee Roasters.
My boyfriend Tyler Adams is one of the most resourceful people I know. Some of the incredible things that he’s made (fabricated and built from the ground up) during the 10 years we’ve been together include a top loading glass kiln, countless tattoo machines, a backyard kiwi arbor and all sorts of other garden structures, loads of motorcycle parts (some really complicated ones too), a welded metal interlocking security system for a Land Rover (friends who are now traveling in South America), and the coffee bean dispenser above that Tyler made for Mount Burns and Julie Gebron of St. Johns Coffee Roasters. Tyler spent months on this one and it shows.
A few weeks ago we delivered the dispenser to St. Johns Coffee Roasters just in time for their business anniversary party. Prior to the dispenser Mount and Julie had done all of their coffee packaging by hand with a metal scooper. That got a little old especially considering that they’ve signed some big new accounts in recent weeks. (You can find their tasty coffee at all ten New Seasons Markets, several local Whole Foods Markets and Market of Choice locations as well now.)
Tyler's coffee dispenser's new home at St. Johns Coffee Roasters!
Mount filling her up...
Tyler and Mount messing with the lever.
Works like a charm!
I can’t tell you all the ins and outs of the dispenser design but if you vaguely remember a guy with a notebook, scribbling things and making sketches while examining your local market bulk coffee dispenser during the past few months that was probably Tyler. All of this R&D paid off because the dispenser is now in full swing and saving Mount and Julie a lot of time.
If you have any interest in Tyler’s coffee dispenser (it’s a one-off for now but he might make more in the future) drop him a line at tyler at grizzlytattoo dot com or stop by his new tattoo shop after June 1st — Grizzly Tattoo on North Williams — and ask him about it.
