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Liz Crain

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  • Dumplings Equal Love
  • Food Lover's Guide to Portland
  • People & Places I Love

Food Lover's Guide to Portland Blog...

began as a collection of some of the research, recipes, images and culinary adventures that went into the making of Food Lover’s Guide to Portland. The first edition came out in 2010 and I started the blog in February 2009 as a companion piece to it and to help organize my thoughts while researching and writing it. The second edition came out in September 2014 from Hawthorne Books. The blog is now home to all different food, drink and beyond things I want to show and tell.

I’m also co-author of Fermenter: DIY Fermentation for Vegan Fare, author of Dumplings Equal Love, co-author of Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull from McSweeney’s, as well as Hello! My Name is Tasty: Global Diner Favorites from Portland’s Tasty Restaurants from Sasquatch Books and Grow Your Own: Understanding, Cultivating, and Enjoying Cannabis from Tin House Books.

I didn’t think I’d like blogging when I first started this, but it turns out I really do, mostly because I get to shout out people and things that I love.


Featured posts:

Featured
Oct 16, 2025
Portland Fermentation Festival 2025 Redux
Oct 16, 2025
Oct 16, 2025
Oct 18, 2024
Portland Fermentation Festival 2024 Redux
Oct 18, 2024
Oct 18, 2024
Oct 25, 2023
Portland Fermentation Festival 2023 Redux
Oct 25, 2023
Oct 25, 2023
Jan 31, 2023
Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen Keepers Powell’s Books Event
Jan 31, 2023
Jan 31, 2023
Oct 31, 2019
Portland Fermentation Festival 2019 Redux
Oct 31, 2019
Oct 31, 2019
Sep 17, 2019
Tenth Annual Portland Fermentation Festival -- Three Weeks Away!
Sep 17, 2019
Sep 17, 2019
Nov 30, 2018
Videos of the 2018 Portland Fermentation Festival
Nov 30, 2018
Nov 30, 2018
Oct 24, 2018
Portland Fermentation Festival 2018 Exhibitors, Vendors and Demo Leaders
Oct 24, 2018
Oct 24, 2018
Oct 23, 2018
Portland Fermentation Festival 2018 Redux
Oct 23, 2018
Oct 23, 2018
Sep 18, 2018
Ninth Annual Portland Fermentation Festival 2018 -- One Month Away!
Sep 18, 2018
Sep 18, 2018
Take your homemade pickles to another level.

Take your homemade pickles to another level.

Webinars on Specialty Foods Business

October 13, 2010 in Extension, Portland Food Products, Specialty Foods, Uncategorized

Even though this isn't local I think a lot of you will appreciate this opportunity organized by University of Vermont's Extension office. Last month a press release landed in my inbox on their extension webinar series on specialty food businesses.

I'm a slacker because I meant to post this before the first in the series but I didn't get around to it. You can still watch that one and all past webinars here.

Here's the dish straight from the source:

Mark your calendars! The eXtension Entrepreneurship webinar series is back for the fourth season. All webinars will air monthly on the second Thursday at 2:00pm (ET); 1:00pm (CT); 12:00pm (MT); 11:00am (PT).

On Thursday, September 9, 2010 we open with a three-month series on specialty food businesses. September’s topic will be Starting Right in Specialty Foods. Join Brian Norder, Director of the Vermont Food Venture Center for an informative session on what it takes to start and grow a specialty food business. Brian has over a decade of experience assisting entrepreneurs in all phases of food-related business development.

On October 14 the webinar will focus on the importance of branding and will feature specialty food business owners Judith Moore of the Charleston Cookie Company and Robin Rhea, Slather Sauce.

The November 11 webinar will conclude this series with a look at Culinary Tourism, an emerging niche that combines agriculture, specialty food and tourism. This presentation will feature a panel of Extension specialists working on Culinary Tourism initiatives.

No pre-registration is required and there is no fee to participate. About 10 minutes prior to the start time simply go the Adobe Connect Pro meeting room. You will be presented with a login screen that has an "Enter as Guest" option. Enter your full name then click "Enter Room" to join the conference. You will be able to hear the audio directly from your computer’s speakers.

University of Vermont Extension www.uvm.edu

Tags: Food Product, Home Cooked, Oregon Farms, Portland DIY
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I swear that Kelly Clarke, Charles Heying and I did not purposely color coordinate...

I swear that Kelly Clarke, Charles Heying and I did not purposely color coordinate...

Wordstock 2010

October 11, 2010 in Book News, Portland Food Products, Portland Food/Drink Event, Uncategorized, Wordstock

This year's sixth annual Wordstock was a blast. There are some Portland events that I do my best to never miss in Portland -- Portland International Film Festival, Portland Fermentation Festival, PDX Adult Soapbox Derby to name a few -- and Wordstock is definitely one.

I heard a lot of grumbling about the grey, rainy weekend this Saturday and Sunday but none of it was from Wordstock folks because we were inside all weekend talking, reading, attending readings, learning about, checking out and buying books. A weekend very well spent.

Highlights for me included tabling with the Hawthorne Books crew, attending two fantastic panels: The Future of Reading and a Karen Karbo and Kim Dower panel on book promotion, seeing old friends from here, here and then some and making new ones.

I was also very honored to be invited to speak on a food and craft panel with Charles Heying moderated by Kelly Clarke -- arts and culture editor for Willamette Week on Saturday.

I was nervous with the stage, lights, microphones but got over it and really enjoyed talking with Charles and Kelly about Portland's awesome and diverse artisan goods culture. I talked a lot about PDX food and drink of course and Charles talked about that and then some. We traded books and I can't wait to read his.

Here are some photos from a full-on Wordstock weekend. Let me know what your experience was if you were there...

Our seats were not on fire but the microphones didn't work at first.

Our seats were not on fire but the microphones didn't work at first.

I guess I look very serious when I'm thinking.

I guess I look very serious when I'm thinking.

Hanging with the Hawthorne Books crew -- Kate Sage and Adam O'Connor Rodriguez.

Hanging with the Hawthorne Books crew -- Kate Sage and Adam O'Connor Rodriguez.

Hawthorne Books' Rhonda Hughes after her Wordstock panel.

Hawthorne Books' Rhonda Hughes after her Wordstock panel.

Baby bookworm.

Baby bookworm.

Wordstock www.wordstockfestival.com

Tags: Food Event, Food Writing, Portland Food Event
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Tyler and me at Doe Bay on Orcas Island. Our boat is the one in the cove behind us.

Tyler and me at Doe Bay on Orcas Island. Our boat is the one in the cove behind us.

Wordstock, Portland Fermentation Festival And More...

October 05, 2010 in Book News, Portland Food/Drink Event, Uncategorized

I'm back! The past two weeks were absolutely perfect. Sailing the San Juan Islands in late September turned out to be a brilliant idea. We thought that we'd have some weather. We didn't. We thought that we'd have some big learning curves. We survived. We thought we'd come back happy but exhausted. We did.

It turns out that sailing a 19-foot O'Day around the San Juan Islands was the adventure and then some we'd been looking for. I'll post more about the trip soon but for now just know that it was great and we're back. All the merrier because of it.

For now, I want to highlight some upcoming events that I'll be attending that you might want to check out too...

WORDSTOCK Thursday, Oct. 7th through Sunday, Oct. 10th @ Oregon Convention Center and other locations

I took this photo at last year's Wordstock. Drop everything for this year's this weekend.

I took this photo at last year's Wordstock. Drop everything for this year's this weekend.

There are so many things to do and people to see at this year's Wordstock, this Thursday through Sunday. Check out the schedule if you haven't already.

I'll be doing a book event with Charles Heying and the lovely Kelly Clarke of Willamette Week at 1pm Saturday over at the McMenamins stage at the Oregon Convention Center. The rest of the weekend I'll be either tabling with the Hawthorne Books crew or checking out different readings and events.

PORTLAND FERMENTATION FESTIVAL Wednesday, Oct. 20th, 6-8pm @ Ecotrust

Come get stinky with us!

Come get stinky with us!

Last year's first annual Portland Fermentation Festival was a huge success and this year's is shaping up to be even stinkier. In a good way. Check out the website for more information and get yourself signed up for this incredible Portland DIY event that brought out more than 500 people last year.

FORTUNE TATTOO GRAND OPENING PARTY Friday, Oct. 22nd 8pm-1am @ Fortune Tattoo

Come eat, drink and be merry with Ms. Mikki and Tyler Adams here!

Come eat, drink and be merry with Ms. Mikki and Tyler Adams here!

ATTENTION: My ex-boyfriend, Tyler Adams, no longer co-owns Fortune Tattoo. Visit his North Portland shop -- Grizzly Tattoo -- which opened June, 2011! For more info. visit www.grizzlytattoo.com, 503.265.8146. 

My boyfriend opened Fortune Tattoo with his business partner Ms. Mikki this spring and finally on Friday, Oct. 22nd (after the first night of the Portland Tattoo Expo) they're having their grand opening party with all sorts of great local donated food and drink thanks to Toro Bravo, Bluehour, MacTarnahans Brewing Company, Domaine Serene Winery and many others. There will also be live music thanks to East Side Speed Machine and friends. Come check it out and celebrate!

Tags: Food Event, Food Writing, Portland Fermentation Festival, Portland Food Event, Wordstock
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Dan Akroyd will sign one of these for you today in Vancouver. No lie.

Dan Akroyd will sign one of these for you today in Vancouver. No lie.

Dan Akroyd Wants You to Drink Vodka...

September 27, 2010 in Crystal Head Vodka, Dan Akroyd, Portland Spirits, Portland Weird, Uncategorized

His vodka to be exact -- Crystal Head Vodka. And as strange as this might sound, he'll be in the 'Couv today from 3-5pm signing bottles of his strange looking hooch at Stateline Liquor Store.

I've scheduled this blog post because, as you might already know, I'm under sail in the San Juan Islands. I'm thinking that you, however, might just want to go shake hands with Dan Akroyd this afternoon.

I haven't tried the stuff, although samples are on the way. The press release for this vodka was one of the strangest ones I've gotten in awhile. Check part of it out below.

If I was in town I'd be heading to Vancouver this afternoon. I don't think I could resist meeting Akroyd and asking him about his vodka, which according to the press release is, "triple crystal filtered through Herkimer diamonds." It's your supernatural world Mr. Akroyd, I'm just in it.

Here's some more info. straight from Akroyd's PR peeps about his vodka:The Ghostbusters and Blues Brothers star himself, Dan Aykroyd, will be in town on Monday, September 27th to promote his popular vodka, Crystal Head Vodka. He will visit Stateline Liquor Store at 1109 North Jantzen Drive from 3–5pm for a bottle signing.

Aykroyd, known for his work on Saturday Night Live and in films including Trading Places, Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy, has been involved with producing and distributing wine and spirits for seven years. He recently created Crystal Head Vodka as a result of his fascination with the supernatural.

The super-premium vodka is made with water from a deep aquifer in Newfoundland, Canada, blended with selected grains for a creamy and slightly sweet finish, and triple crystal filtered through Herkimer diamonds, which, according to New Age belief systems, embody positive energy and goodwill. Crystal Head Vodka is available wherever fine wine and spirits are sold.

###

Feast your eyes on this weirdness...

Tags: Keep Portland Weird, Portland Spirits
2 Comments
Out of the water and ready for the San Juan Islands.

Out of the water and ready for the San Juan Islands.

DIY Galley Cooking On A Small Sailboat

September 23, 2010 in Galley Cooking, Portland DIY, Sailing Food, Uncategorized

When you read this we'll be en route and setting sail for Lopez Island, our first stop, on this boat above on our San Juan Islands sailing trip. The past several weeks have been a confluence pretty much of two things -- book events and boat readying.

Early this summer my boyfriend and I decided that at the end of summer/beginning of fall we'd finally take our 19-foot, 1970s O'Day sailboat out for a real spin and, of course, take a much needed vacation.

We bought the boat with our neighbors last summer and have been up and down the Columbia where it's been moored ever since. This will be the first big journey -- ten days sailing around the San Juan Islands.

There's been a lot of preparation including getting it out of the water, scrubbing it, decking it out with more down-below storage, purchasing a dinghy, barbecue, lights and then some. We're in the last leg though now since we leave on the first day of autumn -- September 23rd.

To be honest, my boyfriend has done the bulk of the work but my job is important. I'm stocking and setting up the galley. Well, we don't actually have a galley so it's more setting up the makeshift galley.

I looked at some books at Powell's on galley cooking and got some good ideas but didn't feel like any were worth buying. Really, I think the most important thing to galley cooking is planning ahead, just like camp cooking. Learning to work with your small cooking space, stocking up with minimal and long lasting ingredients and some full-flavor tricks up your sleeve are all important. Having a food dehydrator doesn't hurt.

We'll be stopping at a lot of markets and farmers markets (my friend Rachel's mom is the editor of the publication that I just linked to here) during the trip to stock the larder and we'll also be checking out the local cuisine. Here's some of what I've cooked up for the trip...

I turned these Brooks plums from our front yard tree...

I turned these Brooks plums from our front yard tree...

Into dehydrated plums.

Into dehydrated plums.

And I turned these backyard Gravensteins...

And I turned these backyard Gravensteins...

Into dehydrated apples.

Into dehydrated apples.

I made a big batch of spicy beef jerky.

I made a big batch of spicy beef jerky.

Stocking up...

Stocking up...

Tags: Galley Cooking, Portland DIY, Sailing Food
5 Comments
Good enough to eat.

Good enough to eat.

The Accidental Affineur: Humboldt Fog Cheese

September 20, 2010 in Portland Cheese, Uncategorized

Most people leave cheese aging to the cheesemakers but not our friend Lorna's dad Dave. He was given a free 16 ounce wheel Humboldt Fog cheese from Cypress Grove Chevre in Arcata (it was overly salted and they wouldn't sell it) and after returning home, a few miles away, he promptly put it in his kegarator. He also promptly forgot about it. For a year and a half.

The cheese stayed in its original wrapper in his kegarator for 18 months before he laid eyes and hands on it again. Accidental affineur Dave wasn't so into the now hard-as-a-rock goat cheese but his daughter Lorna and her husband Steve were.

If you haven't tried Humboldt Fog get your hands on some. It's soft ripened goat cheese with a ribbon of ash through the center that's sold when it's soft with fresh chevre in the center and ooey, gooey closer to the surface.

After a year-and-a-half the Humboldt Fog became hard, dry and more salty. Think of an older manchego but with goat milk. Steve and Lorna ate it grated it over food and thinly sliced on its own for a couple weeks before heading up from Arcata to visit us.

Since stopping through Portland and setting off for their year-and-a-half Land Rover journey around North, Central and South America Steve and Lorna left the home-aged cheese with us. Lucky us. Truly.

I don't know how brave you are about food and I don't know how strict you are with expiration dates but we're pretty happy that Dave forgot about the cheese. Many great foods are the result of kitchen mishaps and although I won't go so far as to say this is better than Humboldt Fog as intended I will say it's pretty dang delicious.

The other night we grated it over spicy lamb and bulgar red sauce spaghetti and last weekend we grated it over eggs. This week I'm thinking more omelettes with grated cheese and chives. In other words, we're digging it.

Two years in the making...

Two years in the making...

Cypress Grove Chevre www.cypressgrovechevre.com 707.825.1100 1330 Q Street Arcata, California

Tags: Food Product, Home Cooked, Portland Cheese, Portland DIY
2 Comments
The perfect spot for a picnic -- Maryhill Museum of Art's picnic grounds. That peacock did not eat with us but I'm sure cleaned up our crumbs.

The perfect spot for a picnic -- Maryhill Museum of Art's picnic grounds. That peacock did not eat with us but I'm sure cleaned up our crumbs.

Syncline Winery and the Gorge

September 15, 2010 in Local Picnic, Portland Day Trip, Portland Lunch, Portland Meat, Uncategorized, Washington Wine

My mom and her husband visited Portland from Cincinnati (where I grew up) mid-August and I've been meaning to post about their visit for awhile since a lot of what we did centered around food and drink as it usually does. We had some great meals out at Toro Bravo, Ping and Acadia to name a few and we also had a really good barbecue at home on their last night in town.

The trek we took this time while they visited was out to the Gorge. On our way out in the morning we stocked up on all sorts of great picnic supplies and then we pretty much beelined for Maryhill Museum of Art. I wanted to finally visit what Raymond Carver referred to, in so many words, as the strangest museum he ever went to.

By the time we got there mid-day -- it takes about two hours from Portland -- we were hungry and headed straight to the picnic grounds. It was a great picnic spot next to the sculpture garden and behind the museum with our peacock friend. My favorite foods from the picnic were the spicy paprika loaf from Edelweiss Sausage & Delicatessen on Grand Central baguette and the tiny pickled anchovies from New Seasons Market.

On the way home (the museum was great and I fully agree with Carver) we only had time for one winery stop so we made it Syncline Winery and I'm so happy that we did. We tasted several of their delicious reds and whites and came home with two whites -- their Viognier and Roussanne. I'll be back to Maryhill and to Syncline. Check both out the next time you're in the area.

We tasted the whites and the reds. Tastings are $5, deducted if you buy wine...

We tasted the whites and the reds. Tastings are $5, deducted if you buy wine...

Turn here for Syncline Winery in the Gorge...

Turn here for Syncline Winery in the Gorge...

The tasting room is in the production house with the fermenting tanks and the barrels.

The tasting room is in the production house with the fermenting tanks and the barrels.

Syncline Winery, if you can't tell already, is beautiful.

Syncline Winery, if you can't tell already, is beautiful.

Maryhill Museum of Art www.maryhillmuseum.org 509.773.3733 Goldendale, Washington

Syncline Winery www.synclinewine.com 509.365.4361 Lyle, Washington

Tags: Home Cooked, Portland Restaurants, Washington Wine
3 Comments
I've been waiting for this all summer.

I've been waiting for this all summer.

Salsa Days Are Here Again

September 13, 2010 in Portland DIY, Portland Gardening, Uncategorized

This summer has been unique for many reasons -- one being it's September and this weekend I made salsa for the first time this season. I'm usually cooking up all sorts of fresh and spicy salsas and hot sauces from the garden all summer long. I can't exactly make salsa out of zucchini though (the only thing that's truly rocking the garden at the moment) so I had to break down last weekend and buy supplies. Luckily, I had great selection at the Beaverton Farmers Market -- namely Sosa Farms.

I bought from other vendors too because I needed everything for big batches of red and green salsa. I made both back to back and we've been happily eating it all ever since.

I almost always make my salsa the same way. I throw my veg. in a thick pan, set the oven to broil, and put the pan directly under the broiler until everything is nicely blackened. Then I put all of that, including the juices, into the food processor with salt, lime, lots of cilantro and fresh chiles and that's that. This time I added a lot more of the blackened skins and I'll do that again -- added to the smoky flavor.

Next up, need to get my hands on some habaneros and moritas ...

I left some of the charred skin of the onions on for flavor.

I left some of the charred skin of the onions on for flavor.

Maybe this is why green and red are two of my favorite colors.

Maybe this is why green and red are two of my favorite colors.

Tags: Home Cooked, Portland DIY
2 Comments
Early apples were on the scene at last Saturday's Beaverton Farmers Market.

Early apples were on the scene at last Saturday's Beaverton Farmers Market.

Beaverton Farmers Market

September 10, 2010 in Oregon Farms, Portland Food/Drink Event, Uncategorized

It was my first time at the Beaverton Farmers Market last weekend and I can't stress to you enough what a fantastic market it is. I'd heard that it was a good one but until I saw it with my own eyes -- adjacent to the Beaverton City Library and just north of Beaverton City Park -- I had no idea.

First off, it's huge -- nearly 200 stalls. Second, vendors from Oregon and Western Washington are fully loaded with farm fresh products because people really shop at this market. I've never seen so many customer bags, baskets, carts and wagons full-to-brimming before at a market.

I talked with market director Ginger Rapport for a while (I was there selling books and she stopped by a couple times to check in) and she told me that the Beaverton Farmers Market stands out because folks there are shopping for families as opposed to other urban markets where people are sometimes snack shopping, gathering a few boutique edible items, or just treating the market as a great people-watching spot to check out.

Folks really use their purchasing power at the Beaverton Market and this has a lasting impact. In other words, there's A LOT to choose from. Including some really good eat-there market foods. My friend Christine and I ate some super tasty pork and asparagus tamales from these folks.

Here's a bit of what stood out for me at last Saturday's market...

A very good sign...

A very good sign...

My friend Christine stopped by and we both got salsa supplies from Forest Grove's Sosa Farms.

My friend Christine stopped by and we both got salsa supplies from Forest Grove's Sosa Farms.

More from Sosa Farms...

More from Sosa Farms...

If I didn't have a big sack of hazelnuts already I would've gotten some from this guy.

If I didn't have a big sack of hazelnuts already I would've gotten some from this guy.

The Pony Espresso folks had a long line all day.

The Pony Espresso folks had a long line all day.

Notebook, pen, money pouch, camera, sunglasses and books is all I need for a great day at the market...

Notebook, pen, money pouch, camera, sunglasses and books is all I need for a great day at the market...

Beaverton Farmers Market www.beavertonfarmersmarket.com Downtown Beaverton at SW Hall between 3rd and 5th Street Get directions 503.643.5345 Saturdays 5/8/10-10/30/10 -- 8am-1:30m Wednesdays 6/16/10-8/25/10 -- 3-6pm Harvest Market 11/20/10 -- 8am-1:30pm

Tags: Food Event, Oregon Farms, Portland Food Event
1 Comment
Picked a lot of the backyard Gravensteins this weekend. They're destined for fresh eating, crumbles, apple butter and the dehydrator this year.

Picked a lot of the backyard Gravensteins this weekend. They're destined for fresh eating, crumbles, apple butter and the dehydrator this year.

Yard Fresh Pt. 7

September 07, 2010 in Portland DIY, Portland Gardening, Uncategorized

It feels like fall and we've still only had a handful of tomatoes from the garden. That's alright though because we've had a lot of other great homegrown food in the past couple weeks including Brooks plums (into wine and dehydrated), zucchini (grilled, pureed into soup, sauteed and then some), lemon cucumbers (straight up, but soon to be pickled), and some really nice garden gifts from neighbors -- big sacks of green beans and pickling cucumbers to be exact.

A lot of people have been complaining about green tomatoes in the past few weeks (myself included) and so I'd just like to pass on a little trick. If your tomatoes don't ripen on the vine this year -- a lot of them still will -- harvest them and keep them in a brown paper sack rolled up or fastened at the top in a cool part of your home. Check the bag every couple days and pull out the ripe ones. They'll ripen that way for weeks and although they don't taste as good as vine ripened it's a nice trick if you can't deal with any more fried green tomatoes or tomato chutney.

Here's a slice of what I've been cooking up during the past few weeks...

Happy hour spread and homemade hard cider with Steve and Lorna.

Happy hour spread and homemade hard cider with Steve and Lorna.

Roasted red pepper, zuke and scallion sandwich with cheddar and romesco sauce.

Roasted red pepper, zuke and scallion sandwich with cheddar and romesco sauce.

Grilled salmon and fresh jalapeno sandwich on Pearl ciabatta with slow cooked green beans and tomatoes.

Grilled salmon and fresh jalapeno sandwich on Pearl ciabatta with slow cooked green beans and tomatoes.

Pureed zuke, potato, cilantro, spinach and lime soup with bread and olive oil.

Pureed zuke, potato, cilantro, spinach and lime soup with bread and olive oil.

Turkey, lemon cucumber, green zebra tomato sandwich on an english muffin.

Turkey, lemon cucumber, green zebra tomato sandwich on an english muffin.

Yard Fresh Pt. 6Yard Fresh Pt. 5Yard Fresh Pt. 4Yard Fresh Pt. 3Yard Fresh Pt. 2Yard Fresh Pt. 1

Tags: Home Cooked, Portland DIY, Portland Gardening
2 Comments
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