Portland Fermentation Festival 2013

We're so happy that we're less than a week away from this year's 4th annual Portland Fermentation Festival! The 2011 festival was so well attended we had a line down the stairs and around the block at Ecotrust. Last year, the thought of tackling such a popular festival was just too overwhelming for David, George and I so we decided to skip it and come back even stronger this year.

We've made some changes this year so that you won't be crushed during the festival and so that you won't have to wait and hour and a half to get in. The biggest changes: advanced ticket sales, different types of tickets: two tastings and Sandor's talk (the talk is sold out -- sorry! Tickets to tastings are still available), use of the mezzanine, and rooftop food and drink sales and music by DJ Pickle Barrel. I'll let the press release speak for itself below. Please come join us for the good, stinky fun on the 23rd!

Aaaand here are a few photos from our crazy 4:30am to 9am stint on KPTV's Fox News Good Day Oregon early this morning to promote the festival from 4:30am to 9am. Ouch.

KPTV Fox's Good Day Oregon covers the 2013 Portland Fermentation Festival. Left to right: Jeanne Kubal of Ecotrust, Andy Carson of Good Day Oregon, Lola Milholland of Ecotrust and David Barber of Picklopolis and co-organizer of the festival.

Me talking up this year's festival guest speaker Sandor Ellix Katz with Andy Carson on KPTV Fox Good Day Oregon.

Picklopolis fermented foods to show off on-air along with other fermenty festival treats.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Organizers & Media Contacts:   Liz Crain lizcrain at gmail dot com   George Winborn gw.winborn at gmail dot com   David Barber briney at picklopolis dot com   Open-to-the-public, all ages celebration of fermented food and drink. Bring kraut, try kraut. Bring miso, try miso. Come out for Portland's fermented food and drink skill sharing, recipe sharing and tasting event of the year. We are very pleased to announce that this year's special guest is Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation, The Art of Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved. In addition to all sorts of fermented food and drink samples enjoy rooftop food and beverage sales from Reverend Nat's Hard Cider, Upright Brewery and Bingo Sandwiches and music from DJ Pickle Barrel.   Fourth Annual Portland Fermentation Festival Wednesday, October 23rd 6:00-9:30pm Ecotrust’s Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center Rooftop food and drink sales and music from DJ Pickle Barrel 721 NW 9th Ave. Portland, OR All ages, open to the public, $10-$20 Children 12 and younger attend for free www.portlandfermentationfestival.com   Come celebrate pickling season at the Fourth Annual Portland Fermentation Festival at Ecotrust. Taste and share homemade live, fermented food and drinks made by professionals and home fermentation enthusiasts at the event that brought out more than 500 attendees in 2011.   Talk to fellow 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.   Visit the website above for more information on how to enter fermented goods and cultures for the event. If you'd like to see what past Portland Fermentation Festivals have been like check out some coverage:   Willamette WeekOPBFood Lover's Guide to PortlandKBOO Food Show Portland Farmers Market video

www.portlandfermentationfestival.com Twitter @PDXFermentFest Facebook Portland Fermentation FestivalPURCHASE TICKETS!

Toro Bravo Cookbook Events

It's real! I got my first advanced copy of Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull and I couldn't be happier about it. Two and a half years in the making and it's finally here! The launch date is October 15th but you can pre-order copies from Powell's, McSweeney's and Amazon now.

We're going to seven cities so far for the book tour this fall -- New York, D.C., Baltimore, San Francisco, Boise, Seattle and Eugene. Below are events that we've already slated in Portland and beyond including the book launch party on Wednesday, October 15th at Toro. I'll keep updating with posts here as we add new events. If you're interested in having us visit for a book event or any sort of media please contact McSweeney's director of publicity Isaac Fitzgerald. You'll like him. He's really nice.

New York City James Beard House dinner + Toro Bravo cookbook previewEssence of Spain: Tapas to Sherry Thursday, Sept. 19th 7pm $130 for members, $170 otherwise Call 212.627.2308 to reserve a seat

Portland Powell's City of Books reading and signing Saturday, Sept. 21st 4pm

Portland Wordstock panel -- On and Off the Menu: PDX Chefs Sunday, October 6th noon John Gorham, Liz Crain, Gabriel Rucker & Meredith Erickson for the Toro Bravo and Le Pigeon cookbooks Moderated by Karen Brooks Wordstock event description: "Two famed Portland chefs. Two books hot off the cutting board! What does it take to convert perfect food from restaurant plate to cookbook page. These panelists are shaken not stirred."

Portland Farmers Market Cookbook Fest PSU Farmers market Sat., Oct. 12th, 9am-1pm

Portland Toro Bravo book launch party at Toro Music. Food. Drinks. Books. Partaaay! Tuesday, Oct. 15th, 5-10pm

San Francisco Omnivore Books on Food Toro Bravo dinner at Contigo + book signing Wednesday, Oct. 23rd Fixed price TBD

Brooklyn Powerhouse Arena book event Tuesday, Nov. 19th 7pm

Mario Batali thinks you should PRE-ORDER THE BOOK!

Toro Bravo according to him:

"These guys make Portland one of the most exciting restaurant cities in the world today." -Mario Batali

One of David L. Reamer's many amazing photographs in Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull.

Back of the book with all of the fantastic blurbs from Mario Batali, Cheryl Strayed, Gus Van Sant, Carrie Brownstein, Paul Bertolli and Karen Brooks.

And the beautiful spine. Love!

Taste of the Nation Portland 2013

This year's 26th anniversary Portland Taste of the Nation at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom was incredible as always and rather than type up all of the reasons why I'm going to lay it all out in photos for you. This was the first year Taste was held at the Crystal Ballroom and it's a great venue although next year they should consider cranking up the air. It got a little toasty. If you weren't able to make it please consider attending next year. It costs a pretty penny but 100% of proceeds go toward hunger relief in Oregon. Without further ado...

Biwa's soy cured escolar with shaved beets.

Lardo's beautiful porchetta.

Boke Bowl sui mai action

Craggan hydrating and about to eat a Boke Bowl pork and shrimp sui mai.

Racion's chicharrons topped with tuna? Ahhh, took too long to post this and can't remember exactly but DO remember they were super tasty.

View from the balcony an hour or so into this year's Taste of the Nation.

Our plates of Trigger hot wings and other tasty things with Captured by Porches kolsch.

Anthem Cider's organic hops cider.

Departure's grilled scallop hand roll with coconut miso.

St. Jack's not so pretty but delicious chicken liver mousse with port poached prunes.

Laurelhurst Market's corned beef tongue reubens with a smoky bourbon cocktail. One of my favorites of the night.

And for dessert, 50 Licks soft serve churros and chocolate ice cream.

Stay tuned for next year's Taste of the Nation! Always delicious and always 100 percent to a great cause. www.portlandtaste.org

Winner of Taste of the Nation Portland 2013 Tickets!

You know who you are lucky #4 commenter. You've won yourself two VIP tickets to this year's Taste of the Nation on Tuesday, May 7th at McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom! Drop me a line at info at lizcrain dot com with your name and contact info. and I'll pass that along to the organizers who are donating the tickets. Your pair of VIP tickets will be available the night of the event at will call.

Thanks everyone for all of your tasty comments. I hope that some of these businesses come to fruition. As for me, I want a soft pretzel cart in my North Portland neighborhood, near my house, or fuck it, in my driveway with all sorts of homemade mustards and sauces.

For those of you who didn't win tickets there are still tickets available for this year's 26th anniversary Taste of the Nation. It's one of the 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.

Thanks everyone!

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 6:30-9pm McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom 1332 W Burnside Portland, OR 97205 Tickets $85 and up (order by phone 877.26TASTE or online) www.strength.org/portland

Taste of the Nation Portland 2013 -- Ticket Giveaway!

Share Our Strength's 26th annual Taste of the Nation on Tuesday, May 7th at McMenamins Crystal Hotel and Ballroom is less than a week away and in an effort to help generate last minute ticket sales I'm offering a ticket giveaway here. The bighearted, hardworking folks at Taste of the Nation Portland have donated a pair of VIP tickets ($150 dollars EACH, gen. admission is $85) to me for this year's event. (Actually, two pairs. I get to go as well.) VIP ticket holders head in to Taste of the Nation and sample select food and drink an hour before everyone else and they also get complimentary valet parking.

I love Taste of the Nation 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.

This year's TOTN will showcase food and drink from 30-plus restaurants, 17 wineries, 7 distilleries and 7 breweries. The list is growing daily.

So it's a VERY worthwhile cause that I highly recommend buying tickets for. You can also try your luck for a pair of VIP tickets here on my blog. 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. Please help me to spread the word about this ticket giveaway and Taste of the Nation on Twitter, Facebook etc. so that we can all help promote and support the event and generate ticket sales. I'm foodloverPDX on Twitter.

So what to comment about? Let me know what sort of food/drink business you'd love to see launch in Portland. It could be a food or drink product, a market, a non-profit, coffeeshop, brewery. It could be something that already exists and you'd like to see replicated in another neighborhood or it could be a business you've just always wished existed here that you've never seen. Leave a comment and let me know -- I'm curious.

I'll announce the lucky winner this weekend or early next week!

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 6:30-9pm McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom 1332 W Burnside Portland, OR 97205 Tickets $85 and up (order by phone 877.26TASTE or online) www.strength.org/portland

Hillsdale Paella Party 2012

Last year I wrote about the Hillsdale Paella Party here and I'm doing it again because there's a 5 foot paella pan involved (!) and all sorts of other tasty food and drink and I really like the community behind this Hillsdale Main Street, a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing Hillsdale, second annual event.

I'm going to pull all of the most important info. from the press release below. If you're interested in attending I suggest getting a ticket sooner than later (purchase tickets here) because last year's event sold out. From the press release...

This Saturday you're invited to eat, drink and be merry for a great cause with the largest paella offering in the Northwest -- cooked up by James Beard Award-winning chef Greg Higgins. Desserts will be by Portland's Baker & Spice Bakery, with executive baker Julie Richardson who just released her new book Vintage Cakes. Latin music will be by Ojos Feos. This year more 300 Portlanders will attend to support this annual fundraiser.

On September 15th, guests will escape to Spain in an outdoor summer setting here in Southwest Portland, enjoying Spanish wines, live music, gourmet tapas and desserts, along with traditional paella. "When added to the outstanding tapas, still raved about after last year, and the decadent desserts created and donated by Hillsdale’s own Baker & Spice Bakery, this year’s event will be one-of-a-kind.”, says Hillsdale Main Street Executive Director Megan Braunsten.

While attendees dance to Afro-Cuban and South American style music, enjoy wine and tapas and, they will also be entertained by the making of the paella. The paella dinner, a tradition in Valencia, Spain, is a means of bringing the community neighbors together to connect, share in the meal and have fun. The paella is a traditional Valencian rice dish including saffron, shrimp, chicken, sausage and vegetables, cooked in a large round pan (a paella) outdoors for large groups of people.

Sponsors include Wyse Kadish, Willamette Week, Baker & Spice Bakery and Food Front. Hillsdale Main Street, one of the three Portland Main Street programs, is a program of the Hillsdale Community Foundation, a 501c3 whose mission is to make Hillsdale a better place to live, learn, work and shop by fostering community building and by raising and distributing resources. A portion of the proceeds will also go to benefit the Neighborhood House Emergency Food Box Program. Neighborhood House now serves approximately 14,000 low-income children, families and seniors around the city each year through programs that educate children and parents, feed and house hungry and homeless families, and assist seniors so that they can continue to live independently.

Hillsdale Paella Party Saturday, September 15th, 2012 6-9pm In the Hillsdale Business District in the big tent next to Bank of America at 6309 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, Oregon 97239 $100 per person (Proceeds benefit Hillsdale Main Street and Neighborhood House Emergency Food Box Program) Purchase tickets Contact Tamairah Boleyn for more information: tam at korkagewine dot com 503.679.8699

2012 Oregon Brewers Festival

The 25th annual Oregon Brewer's Festival is less than a week away and if you haven't made plans yet to attend I think you should consider it. I'm really looking forward to this year's OBF because there are all sorts of tasty beers that I haven't tried yet on the lineup. This year OBF will host 85 craft breweries from around the country and serve more than 30 styles of beer. The expected attendance is 80,000 so be ready for the madness, 130-plus beers to try and the festival's debut of a sour beer tent if you like the winky beers.

A few facts about this year's Oregon Brewers Festival:

The highest alcohol content beer this year will be Dogfish Head's Positive Contact at 9 percent ABV.

There will be more fruit beers this year -- 21st Amendment's watermelon wheat has been the festival's top seller for years.

There are six breweries bringing organic beers: Bison Brewing Company, Eel River Brewing Company, Fort George Brewery, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Mt. Emily Ale House and Old Market Pub and Brewery.

Here's the gist of the festival straight from the press release:

Better known as the OBF, the festival was the brainchild of Art Larrance, co-founder of Portland Brewing Co. Art had traveled to the original Oktoberfest in Munich and knew what a big beer party was like. His goal was to re-create a similar atmosphere here in Portland and bring attention to the resurgence of microbrews.

Art collaborated with craft beer veterans Dick and Nancy Ponzi of BridgePort Brewing Co. and Kurt & Rob Widmer of Widmer Bros. Brewing Co. to produce the first Oregon Brewers Festival in 1988. Despite the limited number of microbreweries nationwide at the time – or perhaps because of that fact– the festival was overwhelmingly successful and has never looked back.

25th annual Oregon Brewers Festival www.oregonbrewfest.com July 26-29, 2012 Tom McCall Waterfront Park Main entrance at SW Oak Street and Naito Parkway Thursday through Saturday taps are open noon to 9pm; Sunday taps are open noon to 7pm. Admission to the festival is free. In order to drink beer you must purchase a $6 2012 mug. Beer tastes are purchased with $1 tokens. 4 tokens gets you a mug of beer and 1 gets you a taste. Cash only event -- ATMs are on-site. Minors are allowed into the event only if accompanied by a parent.

Taste of the Nation Portland 2012

This year's 25th anniversary Portland Taste of the Nation at Jeld-Wen Field was incredible and rather than type up all of the reasons why I'm going to lay it all out in photos for you. If you were there you might see yourself in some of the photos below because I snapped a lot and managed to only drop my camera once. It's ok. This was the first year Taste was held at Jeld-Wen Field and I think it's a fantastic venue. You'll see from the photos. If you weren't able to make it please consider attending next year. It costs a pretty penny but 100% of proceeds go toward hunger relief in Oregon. Without further ado...

One of the most decadent treats of the night was Gruner's foie gras torchon on toasted brioche topped with riesling pickled rhubarb. One of my favorites of the night and they went fast.

Another favorite only available to VIP ticket holders (spend more on your ticket for several additional tastes and early entry) was Bamboo Sushi's amberjack topped with red jalapeno, cilantro, black flying fish roe and miso vinaigrette.

My friend Craig joined me this year and this is what his tray looked like 10 minutes in. So many tasty treats. And we got to sample a lot of nice wine, beer and spirits as well.

Chop's table was very popular and they had one of the most diverse spreads of any of the partipants. Tried all kinds of delicious salames, proscuittos and pates and had a difficult time leaving that table and moving along...

This was probably about 30 minutes into general admission. Packed but not uncomfortable because of all the natural light and air flow above. Everyone was in great spirits sampling all the food and drink and knowing that all money spent goes to a great cause.

For $25 you could try your luck at restaurant roulette. All sorts of local food and drink gift certificates to be won...

I won these! Anya Spence of Miss Zumstein is a good friend of a friend and looking forward to using both GCs.

Departure was serving up one of my other favorites of the night -- spicy steamed honey chicken bao.

They deserve a close-up -- Departure's spicy chicken bao.

I always look forward to what Andina cooks up for Taste of the Nation. This year they did lomo saltado empanadas and potato, avocado, smoked tomato causitas. Both were delicious as always.

My boyfriend's friend Brewer Dylan Goldsmith of Captured by Porches poured my friend Craig an alt beer right before Mayor Sam Adams gave a speech declaring May 8th officially No Child Hungry Day and at the end thanked Dylan for the tasty IPA he was drinking.

Happy to donate some copies of my book to the silent raffle. My book came with gift certificates to Chop, Nong's Khao Man Gai and Missionary Chocolates. Not too shabby.

Closing shot -- love this one of Irving Street Kitchen's station cooking up potato latkes with gravlax and apple butter. Can't beat cooking in sunglasses...

Stay tuned for next year's Taste of the Nation! www.portlandtaste.org

Winner of Taste of the Nation Portland 2012 Tickets!

You know who you are lucky #6 commenter! You've won yourself two tickets to this year's Taste of the Nation next Tuesday, May 9th at Jeld-Wen Field. 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. Your two general admission tickets will be available the night of the event at will call. (Don't worry if it takes me a few days to respond -- I'm out of town for work and will be back mid-week.)

Thanks everyone for all of your tasty comments! I hope that some of these businesses come to fruition. If you build it they will come!

For those of you who didn't win tickets there are still tickets available for this year's 25th anniversary Taste of the Nation. It's one of the 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 Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 6:30-9pm Jeld-Wen Field 1844 SW Morrison St. Portland, OR 97205 Tickets $85 and up (order by phone 877.26TASTE, online or at any New Seasons Market) www.strength.org/portland

Taste of the Nation Portland 2012 -- Ticket Giveaway!

Share Our Strength's annual Taste of the Nation on Tuesday, May 8th at Jeld-Wen Field is just two weeks and a day away and it's the 25th anniversary of this fantastic event. In the interest of shouting it out loud and clear and getting as many people to come out for it and support 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.

This year's TOTN will showcase food and drink from 50 restaurants, 25 wineries and 5 breweries -- these folks. The list is growing daily.

So it's a VERY worthwhile cause that I highly recommend buying tickets for. You can also try your luck for a pair of general admission tickets here on my blog. 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 this year's Taste of the Nation will call the night of May 8th. Please help me to spread the word about this ticket giveaway and Taste of the Nation on Twitter, Facebook etc. I'm foodloverPDX on Twitter.

So what to comment about? Let me know what sort of food/drink business you'd love to see launch in Portland. It could be a food or drink product, a market, a non-profit, coffeeshop, brewery. It could be something that already exists and you'd like to see replicated in another neighborhood or it could be a business you've just always wished existed here that you've never seen. Leave a comment and let me know -- just because I'm curious.

I'll announce the lucky winner early next week!

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 6:30-9pm Jeld-Wen Field 1844 SW Morrison St. Portland, OR 97205 Tickets $85 and up (order by phone 877.26TASTE, online or at any New Seasons Market) www.strength.org/portland