Surprised it took me so long to finally tackle Tom Yum soup. I made mine with a lot of galangal, ginger, lemongrass, lime and fish sauce and kept it simple with just prawns. I made it when I was sick with a dumb cold and it made me feel better right… — Surprised it took me so long to finally tackle Tom Yum soup. I made mine with a lot of galangal, ginger, lemongrass, lime and fish sauce and kept it simple with just prawns. I made it when I was sick with a dumb cold and it made me feel better right away.

Yard Fresh Pt. 26

March 20, 2013 in Edible Gardening, Food Fermentation, Homemade Food, Portland DIY, Portland Yard, Uncategorized

I've been eating out a lot lately but that's not because I haven't wanted to cook I just want to see people and be out and about and, of course, there is so much good food to be had in Portland. I've also been pretty busy and it's been nice to turn off the mind machine and let others cook sometimes.

That said, I've still cooked a fair few tasty things lately and I'm very happy that more foods will be coming from my garden sooner than later. I've planted my peas and this weekend I'm going to get more veggie beds ready and start some seeds indoors. A lot of herbs are coming up now too -- oregano, mint, sorrel, fennel and then some. Please leave a comment here and let me know of anything you've recently cooked, eaten or planted that you love.

Some of what went into my Tom Yum soup. From top left Thai basil, Thai chiles, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, lemongrass, galangal, ginger.

Really simple Spanish braised beef with mash from Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain. Warmed me right up.

Quick salad with Toro's tapenade, anchovies and a garlicky citrusy vinaigrette with broiled cheese bread.

Planted sugar snap peas a few weeks ago but none have come up so planted another round this weekend.

Took this a few weeks ago -- red-veined sorrel, oregano and mint popping up in the garden.

Ham, egg and cheesy breakfast. Top of the morning.

I made a batch of Choi's Kimchi and it turned out great.

And then I made kimchi jjigae with a jar of it which I order all the time and have never made. Really good.

Toro Bravo charcuterie manager Josh Scofield going through his home tool box finding what he needs to make something that you can read all about in The Toro Bravo Cookbook when it comes out from McSweeney's on Oct. 1st.

For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 9

March 04, 2013 in Food Preservation, Homemade Food, John Gorham, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

Another crazy spell work-wise so you get one of these picture-worth-1,000-words posts. This weekend I worked on the book's essays quite a bit and met yesterday's final edits deadline for them and last I weekend worked on some other things for The Toro Bravo Cookbook mostly related to the above photo of Toro Bravo's charcuterie manager, Josh Scofield, that you'll know about soon enough. (We also ate Spanish chorizo that Josh brought back from our trip there and drank Basque cider cocktails -- so working through the weekends isn't so bad.) Yes, the project that Josh was walking me through above relates to cured meat and, yes, you can do it in the comfort of your own home. Any ideas?

www.torobravopdx.com For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 8 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 7 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 6 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 5 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 4 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 3 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 2 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 1

This is one of my favorite Toro Bravo dishes -- the radicchio salad with tapenade crostini. If I didn't write the cookbook I'd buy it just for these two recipes. Perfect.

Cook the Book -- The Toro Bravo Cookbook

February 25, 2013 in Book News, Cookbooks, John Gorham, Portland DIY, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

Even though we've finished testing and editing all of the recipes for The Toro Bravo Cookbook (due out October 1, McSweeney's) by now, I've been cooking them all again at home because they're delicious and I love them and also because you can never test a recipe too many times and in too many kitchens. This kind of obsessive behavior makes my friends happy since they get to eat more Toro food.

We're finishing up the essay edits for the cookbook now too so from here on out this project that we've been working on for two-plus years is going to look and feel more like an actual book. We've gotten some really rough layouts and of course those are amazing. Wouldn't expect any less from the fine McSweeney's team. Here's a little of what you can look forward to cooking and eating from the comfort of your home when the Toro Bravo Cookbook out this fall. Hope all is well!

Toro's tapenade chock full of tarragon, anchovies and red onion...

Toro's salty preserved lemons. They take 6 weeks to cure and mine are halfway there...

I'm going to do a full post on this soon but for now over the holidays my brother and I brewed the Toro Bravo Red (Breakside Brewery + Toro's recipe) in Cincinnati. He and his wife mailed me a couple bottles once it was ready so that we could try it… — I'm going to do a full post on this soon but for now over the holidays my brother and I brewed the Toro Bravo Red (Breakside Brewery + Toro's recipe) in Cincinnati. He and his wife mailed me a couple bottles once it was ready so that we could try it for the first time together.

We toasted and tasted it together via Skype. Delicious!

Toro Bravo's limoncello. Grated my thumb but worth it. Two bottles of limoncello in the freezer!

Limoncello wrapped and ready for the wait...

Toro's limoncello strained after 30 days and into the freezer. Been drinking it the past couple nights and it is so good. Lemony goodness.

The Toro Bravo Cookbook: The Making, Breaking and Riding of a Bull (coming soon to a bookstore near you! Publishes Oct. 1st, 2013) McSweeney'swww.torobravopdx.com

Revel in Portland

February 18, 2013 in Food Gifts, John Gorham, Keep Portland Weird, McSweeney's, Portland Chefs, Revel in Portland, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

A few weeks ago I got a complimentary copy of Revel in Portland in the mail since Toro Bravo chef-owner John Gorham is featured in it (we're currently working on the Toro Bravo Cookbook due out from McSweeney's Oct. 2013) along with nine other creative folks in Portland including illustrator Carson Ellis, filmmaker Lance Bangs, and architect Jeff Kovel. There's a Q&A with each person in this pocket-sized book filled with beautiful matte art and photos that's followed by a descriptive list of their favorite Portland places.

There are three Revel in New York books already and the group is looking to expand with books for Austin, Miami and Los Angeles next year.

It's a fun, inspiring read that makes me proud to be a Portlander. Although the group hasn't secured significant distribution yet you can find Revel in Portland at Reading Frenzy, Ampersand, Heart Roasters, Albina Press and you can also purchase it directly via their site.

The Revel team puts it best:

"The Revel In Portland Guidebook is a celebration of the Portlanders who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Artists, chefs, musicians, designers, filmmakers, troublemakers, and our city's most interesting characters. 10 interviews, pictorials and 72 personal recommendations."

Revel in Portland, Volume 1 $10 www.revelinportlandshop.com

John Gorham's chapter in Revel in Portland Volume 1.

Went to my friend Chris and Karen's a couple weeks ago for a sauna and their friend Paul Yonchek (he photographed a couple of Caprial Pence's cookbooks) made these tasty pretzel breads with mustard for everyone. So good!

Friend Food Pt. 6

February 11, 2013 in Food Gifts, Homemade Food, Portland DIY, Portland Food Products, Specialty Foods, Uncategorized

I have incredible friends and family and we give each other a lot of love with food and drink. I started this blog series a while back to chronicle that. Here are some of the tasty things that I've gotten to be involved in with friends or have been given by friends lately...

Debbie gave me a big bag of delicious Green Salmon Coffee, from Yachats, to brew and fill my new mug withfor Christmas.

Several weeks ago my friends Chris and Karen invited me over for dinner and we made buttternut squash and chevre raviolis. So good.

My friend Loly made peppermint schnapps and Kahlua for the holidays and I was lucky enough to get both!

My brother and sister-in-law gave me this mug with my nieces on it when I went home to Cincinnati for Christmas this year. It makes me happy.

My neighbor and friend Chris made a batch of this tasty raspberry jam and I got some.

And his girlfriend and my good friend Alison has been giving me eggs from her hens for years. I love my neighbors so much

My friend Michelle and her daughter Kylie and I making beet salad.

My friend Emily gave me this jar of rendered pork fat from a class that she took recently at Portland Meat Collective.

And just so you know that the gifting goes both ways -- here are most of the edible gifts that I gave to loved ones over the holidays.

Friend Food Pt. 5 Friend Food Pt. 4 Friend Food Pt. 3 Friend Food Pt. 2 Friend Food Pt. 1

Portland Zagat Guide Giveaway Winner!

February 04, 2013 in Portland Zagat, Uncategorized, Zagat

Since we didn't get to #5 the closest #4 is the winner. Congratulations Mr. S. I'll be in touch about your winning copy of Portland's first very own Zagat Guide. Thanks for all of your comments. I'm looking forward to checking out some of those brunches. Happy Monday!

Portland Zagat Guide 2013 $14.95 www.zagat.com

Portland Zagat Guide Giveaway

January 28, 2013 in Portland Restaurants, Portland Zagat, Uncategorized

This summer and fall I was lucky enough to get to work on Portland's first very own Zagat Guide. A few weeks ago I came home to a box of them hot off the presses on my front porch. Have you seen it yet? What do you think? I'm sharing most of my copies with friends and family but I'm also giving one away here to a lucky commenter. I've written down a number as usual and that numbered commenter will get a copy of the guide. And just so you know this is how you pronounce Zagat. I've botched the pronunciation for years.

What I'd like to know is this -- what are some of your favorite brunch spots in Portland? I've been going to brunch more these days and it's always nice to know of new spots. Some brunches that I've really been digging lately -- Kenton Club (pop-up brunch every Saturday and Sunday), EaT Oyster Bar and Interurban. I live in North Portland and tend to stay up in the hinterland for brunch but suggestions throughout Portland are welcome.

Check out this recent Oregonian interview with Nina Zagat.

Portland Zagat Guide 2013 $14.95 www.zagat.com

Save the best for last. The last recipe that we tested for the book was this paella. My feet are on the right, John's are on the left and we're about to dig in with the Toro staff...

For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 8

January 23, 2013 in John Gorham, McSweeney's, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

I really will get back to more regular blog posting at some point but it's just happened to be one of those things that's gotten a little bit of the boot during the past several chock-full months. These are always fun ones to do though because they're quick to put up and give you a little eye candy. We're still busy at work on the Toro Bravo Cookbook due out from McSweeney's fall 2013. I took this photo in November during our last major recipe testing day. We'll still continue to test right up until the book goes to print but this was our last big push for formal testing. I wish you could have tried this house paella. Perfect.

www.torobravopdx.com For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 7 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 6 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 5 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 4 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 3 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 2 For Your Viewing Pleasure Pt. 1

I made this version of Choi's White Napa Kimchi while working on a story about the Portland mother-son-duo kimchi business for Mix Magazine. I'm still enjoying it -- really tasty. It's a mild kimchi with no chiles but a lot of ginger, garlic, Asian … — I made this version of Choi's White Napa Kimchi while working on a story about the Portland mother-son-duo kimchi business for Mix Magazine. I'm still enjoying it -- really tasty. It's a mild kimchi with no chiles but a lot of ginger, garlic, Asian pear and red peppers.

Yard Fresh Pt. 25

January 07, 2013 in Food Fermentation, Food Preservation, Homemade Food, Portland DIY, Portland Gardening, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

I've got a lot on my plate these days so I haven't been cooking as much as usual. I had two weeks off over the holidays though and did a lot of eat, drink, be merry. I just didn't do much of the cooking. I think I'll put together a Cincinnati post soon -- my hometown -- and include some of the great food and drink there. I brewed beer with my brother (my first time brewing beer!) when I visited this time around amongst other things.

I went to Seattle for a few days at the beginning of my vacation and met with one of my publishers, Gary Luke of Sasquatch Books, while there. (I also saw Louis C.K. at the Paramount!) As a result, I'm now working on revising Food Lover's Guide to Portland! I'm not sure when that will be complete and when you can get a new/improved copy but fingers crossed for summer or fall 2013.

After Seattle I visited family and friends in Cincinnati for a week and ate tasty German food and Cincinnati chili as usual. And to cap off my vacation I went to the Oregon coast for a few days to ring in the new year. Food/drink highlights there: We smoked Netarts Bay oysters (so good!) and then made omelets with them with goat cheese, there was a super yummy New Year's risotto with freshly hunted seared duck breast followed by a kick-ass Caesar and much, much more. Anyway, here's some of what I've cooked and eaten at home in the past couple months. Hope you've been eating well in the new year and are happy and healthy. Happy New Year!

I made this egg sammy a few weeks back with the kimchi above because I was craving the breakfast sandwich with kimchi and sausage on pretzel bread at the Saturday and Sunday brunch at Kenton Club. If you haven't been to this pop-up brunch yet go get… — I made this egg sammy a few weeks back with the kimchi above because I was craving the breakfast sandwich with kimchi and sausage on pretzel bread at the Saturday and Sunday brunch at Kenton Club. If you haven't been to this pop-up brunch yet go get it. Nik Woideck is rocking it in the kitchen there -- really good stuff.

I put all the beds under thick blankets to sleep until the spring. My neighbor Alison and I have an agreement -- if I clean her chicken coop then I get the skat straw for my yard. Perfect.

I made these garlic cheese grits for Thanksgiving. It's an old family recipe and no holiday is complete without them. Sharp cheddar, lots of butter and eggs, heaps of minced garlic and a cornflake topper.

I made a big batch of Toro Bravo's red sangria for Thanksgiving too.

And roasted some paprika glazed hazelnuts from Eric Joppie's Bar Avignon recipe in the August 2012 issue of Mix Magazine.

I also whipped up some smoked escolar butter (Newman's Fish Co.) from a Janie Hibler recipe in her cookbook titled Dungeness Crabs and Blackberry Cobblers.

I'm going to keep cooking through the Toro Bravo Cookbook (due out fall 2013 from McSweeney's) this winter. This big batch of Toro's brussels sprouts with bacon sherry cream was tasty. Life is sweet.

Nigel Slater's Trappist beer beef stew with baked brothy potatoes from his cookbook Tender. So good. Ate it for several days.

Pulled out my homemade 2 year (left) and one year miso...

And scraped and salted it. Made sure to scoop off some to eat before putting it back down to ferment. It's so fucking good. With 5 gallons of the 1 year (on the right) I think I'll be able to get it to 10-plus years. It will just get darker, richer … — And scraped and salted it. Made sure to scoop off some to eat before putting it back down to ferment. It's so fucking good. With 5 gallons of the 1 year (on the right) I think I'll be able to get it to 10-plus years. It will just get darker, richer and more developed as it ages.

And racked the plum wine. 21 gallons this year!

Just off the plane from Madrid John and David cava in hand at Quimet Quiemt in Barcelona. One of my favorite spots from the trip.

Barcelona for the Toro Bravo Cookbook

December 17, 2012 in John Gorham, McSweeney's, Portland Chefs, Spain, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

A couple weeks ago I posted about the first part of our trip to Spain -- to Madrid -- late September for the Toro Bravo Cookbook and this week I'm posting about the second part of our trip, in Barcelona, with Toro Bravo's chef-owner John Gorham, our McSweeney's Books editor Rachel Khong, the book's photographer David Reamer, the restaurant's chef de cuisine Kasey Mills and charcuterie manager Josh Scofield.

The Barcelona part of the trip went much as the Madrid part -- loads of great food, lack of sleep, loads of good drink, lack of moderation, loads of exploring, lack of inhibition. In other words, it was an adventure and we had so much fun. Here are some photos...