Taste of the Nation 2011

Taste of the Nation truly gets bigger and better every year. We had a fantastic time eating and drinking all sorts of amazing things from Portland area chefs and food/drink folks at this year's Taste of the Nation at Luxe Autohaus. (Always made much better by the fact that 100% of the proceeds go toward local child hunger relief.) If you don't know about the event you can read more about it here and here. We paced ourselves a lot better this year so that by the end (and we stayed until the very end -- as in tables being folded) we felt full but not roll-out-the-door full.

It's hard to pick favorites but I think it's good to give credit where credit is due. SO here are my top five favorite things that I ate at this year's Taste of the Nation (not to mention all the delicious wine, beer and bubbly) followed by photos...

Top five bites at this year's Taste of the Nation in no particular order...La Calaca Comelona's rainbow chard wrapped masa with pork in a red sauce Biwa's braised pork and house pickled vegetable lettuce wraps Bamboo Sushi's Oregon albacore carpaccio Fifty Lick's coconut lemon saffron sorbet Davis Street Tavern's cold carrot fennel soup with sorrel salsa verde

Screen Door's mini chocolate and peanut butter pies were really good. Especially when eaten right after their...

Smoked meatloaf and whipped potato bites topped with crispy shallots. Yeah, pretty genius side-by-side.

Biwa kicked ass as usual with their braised pork lettuce wraps with pickled veggies.

Fratelli was set up right next to Biwa with some yummy rockfish crudo that got topped with yuzu foam seconds after I took this photo.

No, he did not get stuck in the ice cream cooler. 50 Licks' coconut lemon saffron sorbet is incredible.

Andina had a lovely spread of marinated fish in a aji colorado al batan sauce, fava bean salad and okra rellena stuffed with braised oxtail. Top that why don't you.

We hung out with friends until the lights-out end. Another fantastic Taste of the Nation with 100 percent of proceeds going to local child hunger relief organizations. Cheers Portland!

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Monday, May 2nd, 2011 5-9pm LUXE Autohaus 410 NE 17th Ave. Portland, OR 97232 Stay tuned for next year's Taste of the Nationwww.portlandtaste.org

How to Forage for Nettles

I love nettles. I even grow them in my yard. But the small patch that's in the enter at your own risk section of my garden -- raspberries and nettles -- is really only good for a few scrambles a year. That's not enough. I need to make big platters of nettle lasagna, dinners of nettle risotto, early spring nettle pesto. You get it.

We harvested A LOT of nettles recently and here's my advice -- gloves, scissors, bags and don't bring the dog. The last part is difficult but please heed the warning. Ours whimpered for hours after because he stung his foot pads. Poor guy. We just kept soaking his feet in cold water and applying cortisone. You could tell it really hurt.

Don't forget your gloves...

Nettles as far as the eye can see.

On the positive side we made a lot of delicious things from our nettles and didn't get hurt in the slightest. (Lots of risotto as you can see because we've been craving that with the cold, dark weather we've been having this spring.) Wear gloves when collecting and preparing nettles and remember that just a few minutes of cooking gets rid of the sting.

Golden beet and nettle risotto.

Nettle risoto finished with cream and asiago.

Sounds strange but this nettle tostada the next morning was awesome.

Winner of Taste of the Nation 2011 Tickets!

You know who you are lucky #17 commenter Jaime! You've won yourself two tickets to this year's Taste of the Nation. Drop me a line @ info at lizcrain dot com with your full name and contact info. and I'll pass that along to the organizers who are donating the tickets.

Thanks everyone for all of your tasty comments! I'm looking forward to checking a lot of the places out and trying the foods and drinks that you mentioned. I haven't tried a lot of them which makes me happy. I might just print all the comments out and keep the list in my bag so I don't forget.

For those of you who didn't win tickets there are still tickets left for this year's Taste of the Nation and if you can I suggest you snag them. It's one of the absolute best food events in town and I highly recommend it. In addition to it being delicious and super fun 100% of proceeds go toward ending local child hunger. Gotta feel good about that.

Thanks everyone!

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Monday, May 2nd, 2011 5-9pm LUXE Autohaus 410 NE 17th Ave. Portland, OR 97232 Tickets $85 (order by phone 877.26TASTE, online or at any New Seasons Market) www.portlandtaste.org

Taste of the Nation May, 2nd 2011 -- Ticket Giveaway!

Share Our Strength's annual Taste of the Nation on Monday, May 2nd is just two weeks away and in the interest of shouting it out loud and clear and getting as many people to come out for it as possible I'm giving away a pair of tickets here on my blog.

I love this event because 100% of ticket sales go toward working to end child hunger via Oregon Food Bank, Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul Food Recovery Program and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. Read about last year's Taste of the Nation here.

So it's a VERY worthwhile cause that I highly recommend buying tickets for. You can also try your luck for a pair here. I've got a number in mind and I've written it down and taken a photo of it as proof. That numbered person to comment takes the cake. You get me your name and contact info. and there will be a pair of tickets waiting for you at will call.

So what to comment about? Let me know your favorite new (to you or truly new) food find in Portland that is not a restaurant. It could be a food or drink product, a market, a coffeeshop, brewery -- anything PDX food that's not a restaurant. Just because I'm curious. This year's TOTN will showcase food and drink from these folks:

Restaurants: Andina Aviary Boke Bowl Davis Street Tavern Heathman Restaurant & Bar Metrovino Ned Ludd Saint Cupcake Screen Door Simpatica The Gilt Club

LUXE and VIP Gems: Beast Castagna Genoa June Laurelhurst Market Tasty & Sons

Beverages: Amity Vineyards Anne Amie Vineyards Cana's Feast Winery Domaine Drouhin Vineyard Johan Vineyards Sineann Wines Willamette Valley Vineyard Youngberg Hill Vineyards Dry Fly Distilling House Spirits Full Sail Sierra Nevada Captured by Porches Smith Teamakers

I'll announce the lucky winner early next week!

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Monday, May 2nd, 2011 5-9pm LUXE Autohaus 410 NE 17th Ave. Portland, OR 97232 Tickets $85 (order by phone 877.26TASTE, online or at any New Seasons Market) www.portlandtaste.org

Yard Fresh Pt. 11

We've been eating well as always. Thank you life for being so damn good. My best food news is that grilling days are here again. F the snow, hail, sleet and rain. I've planted my peas, sown my arugula and I'm stoking up the grill.

I'm still cooking a lot of great food from Vij's Cookbook because I love it. I'm enjoying cooking from books more lately since we're about to begin recipe testing for the Toro Bravo Cookbook. Since I use cookbooks more as go-to for ideas and don't strictly follow recipes all that often any more it's nice to have a reason to do that again in preparation. Momofuku here I come!

Hope you're eating well too. Let me know what you've been cooking in the comments if you have a second.

Open-faced egg and ham with cheddar and broccoli sprouts.

Homemade shrimp/pork posticker soup with kimchi, beet greens, tomato and Meyer lemon juice.

Vij Cookbook black chickpea curry with toasted cumin seed basmati and homemade raita.

Vij Cookbook raita -- yogurt, whole grated cucumber, garam masala.

Roasted chicken with fresh herb butter under skin, roasted beets, turmeric rice and quick reduction with white wine.

Leftover turmeric rice with chicken reduction and basted egg.

More pickled beets and onions because I can't help myself. So good.

Yard Fresh Pt. 10Yard Fresh Pt. 9Yard Fresh Pt. 8Yard Fresh Pt. 7Yard Fresh Pt. 6Yard Fresh Pt. 5Yard Fresh Pt. 4Yard Fresh Pt. 3Yard Fresh Pt. 2Yard Fresh Pt. 1

Preserving with Friends DVD

I'm so happy that I got an advance copy of Harriet Fasenfest's DVD Preserving with Friends (190 minutes, watch the trailer here) but I do have one gripe -- I wish it had been available when I started my journey into the wide world of food and drink preservation. My hand holders were books -- Sandor Ellix Katz's Wild Fermentation and Linda Ziedrich's The Joy of Pickling. So I'm very pleased to now own Preserving with Friends, which features both Ziedrich AND Katz, along with host Harriet Fasenfest (author of A Householder's Guide to the Universe) and another guest who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting -- Marge Braker.

The DVD takes you through demos of everything from homemade jam/jelly/preserve making, home pickling (with Linda Ziedrich), home fermenting sauerkrauts and kimchi (with Sandor Ellix Katz) and home food dehydration and more (with Marge Braker). It's really nice to be able to watch, listen and learn the techniques from seasoned home food preservers.

I do a lot of home food and drink preservation -- everything from homemade fruit wines, hard cider, and miso, to sauerkraut, beef jerky and kimchi -- and I can tell you from experience that this video is invaluable if you're just setting off into this territory. It'll save you a lot of grief and give you loads of great ideas.

Purchase Preserving with Friends directly online as well as in Portland at Mirador Community Store. Check out clips from the video here as well as over at the Facebook page.

Preserving with Friends DVD $24.95 Purchase directly

Bakesale for Japan April 2nd @ Ristretto Roasters & Barista

Giovanna Zivny, Elizabeth Nathan and others have organized Portland's Bakesale for Japan next Saturday, April 2nd from 10am-2pm at two of Portland's favorite coffee shops -- Ristretto Roasters (Williams) and Barista (Pearl).

Home and professional bakers are grabbing their whisks and cranking up their ovens to raise money for Peace Winds Japan, a partner of Mercy Corps.

This is a nationwide effort (Bakesale for Japan currently has generated 17+ bake sales stretching from San Francisco to NYC) that originated with Oakland chef Samin Nosrat. She raised $23K for Haiti last year with just three bake sale locations. Portland's Bakesale for Japan has a matching donation lined up from Intel.

If you'd like to bake (amateurs and professionals welcome) or volunteer for Bakesale for Japan contact pdxbakesale@gmail.com.

Here is the amazing list of Portland folks signed up so far to contribute tasty baked goods: Little T American Baker, Alder Pastry & Dessert, Woodlawn Coffee and Pastry, Fleur de Lis Bakery and Cafe, Alma Chocolate, Kir Jensen (The Sugar Cube), Kristen Murray (Paley’s Place), Kim Boyce (Golden Oven), Bakery Bar, Suzette, Random Order Coffeehouse & Bakery, Petunia’s Pies & Pastries, Confectionery, Little Branch Jam, and Bees & Beans.

Portland's Bakesale for Japan 10am-2pm Saturday, April 2nd @

Ristretto Roasters (N Williams location) 3808 N Williams Ave & Barista (Pearl location) 539 NW 13th Ave

OSU Extension Service Spring Events & Classes

In 2008 I took the organic version of the Master Gardener program here in Portland -- the Organic Gardening Certification Program -- and got so much out of it. Ever since then I've been on the OSU Extension Service mailing list and so from time to time get the scoop on cool classes and events. The latest newsy email has all sorts of local edible gardening and farming things in it that I'm sharing with you here. Today is the first official day of spring after all!

Straight from the source...

OSU Extension Service, in partnership with Multnomah County, is proud to announce open registration for a new educational program in 2011: The Beginning Urban Farming Apprenticeship (BUFA) program provides in-depth and comprehensive training in urban farming and sustainable farming methods. Through formal classes, hands-on training, field-trips, online learning, and supervised apprenticeships, BUFA prepares students to produce and market fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, cut flowers, and other value-added products using organic methods. Participants will also learn the knowledge and skills needed to design, install, and manage farm and landscape infrastructure in urban and peri-urban settings. BUFA program begins on April 6, 2011. For program dates, more information, and to sign up, see: www.multco.us/sustainability/bufa.

Online, for-credit HORTICULTURE 260 Organic Farming and Gardening through OSU Ecampus will be conducted summer 2011. Visit the OSU website for more info.

FREE Metro natural gardening workshops in partnership with OSU Extension Service. Natural gardening workshops on a wide-range of natural gardening topics throughout the gardening season. See www.oregonmetro.gov/garden for a schedule of workshops.

OSU Extension Service Master Gardener training: January – March 2012 in three locations in the Portland metro region for a comprehensive, introduction to horticulture class and volunteer program. www.metromastergardeners.org Registration opens October 2011.

Clackamas Community College Horticulture Department and Portland Community College Landscape Technology both offer AA degrees and a wide range of practical classes in horticultural science and more.

Urban Growth Bounty 2011 class series produced by City of Portland on a wide range of gardening topics.

OSU Extension Service will not be offering the Organic Gardening Certificate Program (OGCP) in 2011 to make best use of limited staff resources.

Media & Stuff

Every once in awhile I like to do a roundup of media and goings on here. If nothing else, it helps me get a hold on things. Hopefully it's a decent source of local food info. for you too.

Here are some stories that I've done lately and other various media thing-a-ma-gigs...

My writing:

Willamette Week's annual Cheap Eats came out last week. I contributed several write-ups. Get a copy while you still can if you haven't already.

Cooking Up a Story has been featuring a five-part series of interviews that I did with Food Fray author and GM food expert and molecular biologist Lisa Weasel. Today they published part three.

Former Saveur editor-in-cheif Colman Andrews' new site The Daily Meal launched in late 2010 and they recently asked me to contribute a Word of Mouth about Portland restaurants.

Food Lover's Guide to Portland Coverage:

Broadway Books put together this lovely blog post about local food books.

Coeur de Lafood blogger Caroline Dahlberg came to Portland recently and I had coffee with her and talked all things PDX edible.

Reading Local Portland posted about this local food book club. Sounds fantastic.

Hope you're doing well. Thanks for reading!

Breakfast in Bridgetown 2.0

It's taken me far too long to post about Paul Gerald's second edition of Breakfast in Bridgetown. (So long, in fact, that there's even a nifty new iPhone app. available for all of you iphony folks. No insult intended, well only a minor insult, with the "phony" part.) I think I'll liken the lack of a blog post about Paul's newest edition to not giving enough appreciation to what's in your backyard. Except in this case backyard is substituted with writing studio.

Paul and I share a writing studio in Northwest Portland these days and maybe because I get to see him so often and ask him all sorts of breakfasty questions on a regular basis I haven't appreciated the fact that you all do not enjoy the same privileges.

Breakfast in Bridgetown 2.0 is bigger, better and full of all sorts of great PDX breakfast suggestions ranging from new food cart and ethnic eats sections (thanks to Brett Burmeister and Nick Zukin for those) to the tried and true 100+ restaurant reviews -- some that you know about and frequent and others that you don't. It's a great book and if you don't have it already I highly recommend it.

Paul has been on the airwaves talking with Laura McCandlish on her KBOO Food Show lately if you want to hear his up-to-the-minute thoughts on local breakfast foodstuffs. They recently chatted about New Orleans cajun breakfast/brunch and where to find it in Portland.

I first met Paul when he invited me onto his RIP radio show. Check out recordings of all of Paul's past Breakfast in Bridgetown radio shows -- interviews with John Gorham, Nick Zukin, David Machado and others -- over at his website.

Paul Gerald talking to guests at Breakfast in Bridgetown's 2nd edition release party in December at Cafe Nell.