Festival co-organizers me, George Winborn and David Barber with this year's special guest speaker Sandor Ellix Katz.

Portland Fermentation Festival 2013 Redux

October 30, 2013 in Ecotrust, Edible Portland, Food Fermentation, Food Preservation, Portland Farming, Portland Fermentation ..., Portland Food/Drink Event, Sandor Ellix Katz, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

We couldn't be happier about this year's fourth annual Portland Fermentation Festival. We got Sandor Ellix Katz back as guest speaker, we had more exhibitors sharing fermented foods and recipes than ever, we took the party to another level literally on the rooftop with D.J. Pickle Barrel, Reverend Nat's Hard Cider and Upright Brewing, we had advance tickets sales and the talk and first tasting sold out and we had demo's on everything from natto to nightshade-free kimchi.

It was a stinky good time and thank you so much to everyone who participated and attended! We put Portland Fermentation Festival together every year with a shoestring budget + heaps of volunteered hours and as always we're so grateful that Ecotrust puts up with us every stinking (literally) year. Thank you again Ecotrust! We love you. Thank you to festival sponsor Willamette Week and to this year's poster designer Tim Root as well.

If you'd like to keep up with local fermenty goings-on please check out our website, Facebook and Twitter.

I was able to take a good amount of photos at the festival last week so here they are in no particular order. I know that I missed some exhibitors and I may have even mixed up some names and folks. If so please let me know and sorry in advance. Alright, on to the photos. See you at the stink next year!

Perennial festival faves the Biwa crew with their housemade miso. So good.

Andie Thompson sampling her super tasty liquid non-dairy kefir and ice cream.

Connie and Brian Shaw made the trek from Hood River with all sorts of delicious Oregon Brineworks ferments.

Heidi Nestler's very well attended natto demo. Heidi teaches some great cooking classes check out heidinestler.com.

Festival co-organizer Brineyman aka David Barber giving out all sorts of Picklopolis magic.

Tressa Yellig's Salt, Fire & Time kvass samples. As tasty as it is pretty.

Joshua Unterman's beautiful/functional handmade crocks.

Rebecca and Fred Gerendasy of Cooking Up a Story documenting the stink!

Eric Christensen of It's Alive! with his tasty krauts, raw crackers and bars.

Thomas Trotter's spicy/tangy/yummy fermented hot sauce.

Colin and Kristein Franger's of Blue Bus Kraut brought spicy kraut-chi and tasty straight-up kraut.

Lost Art Kitchen's Chris Musser's super informative nightshade-free kimchi demo. Check out www.lostartskitchen.com.

Sash Sunday's OlyKraut with yummy sea vegetable kraut.

Annie Moss with all sorts of fermenty good Tabor Breads.

Jon got Sandor to sign some of his crocks!

Toro Bravo charcuterie manager Josh Scofield sampling Toro's chorizo with the Toro Bravo Cookbook in tote that I was lucky enough to co-author. The charcuterie chapter was one of my favorites to write.

Choi's Kimchi in the house! Sooooo good.

Party on the rooftop with DJ Pickle Barrel, Reverend Nat's Hard Cider, Upright Brewing and Bingo Sandwiches.

DJ Pickle Barrel and one of Portland Fermentation Festival's best, best friends -- Ecotrust's Lola Milholland.

Robert Jordan's tasty sourdough bread and pancakes.

Coreen Stoli's beautiful porcelain crocks.

Ivy Stovall's shiso pretty pink pickles.

Judge D. Finklea and Lindsay Dekey's fruit kimchi and kombucha.

Megan Denton of Able Farms sampled her kraut and kombucha.

What better way to end this with Lynne Van Dusen's beautiful smile sampling her Vine to Brine lacto-fermented sodas?

See you all at the stink next year & thanks for making this one so fantastic!

Come out, come out wherever you are for the 4th annual Portland Fermentation Festival next Wed., Oct. 23rd at Ecotrust.

Portland Fermentation Festival 2013

October 17, 2013 in Ecotrust, Food Fermentation, Portland Fermentation ..., Portland Food Products, Portland Food/Drink Event, Sandor Ellix Katz, Uncategorized

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 Week OPB Food Lover's Guide to Portland KBOO Food Show Portland Farmers Market video

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

Toro Bravo Book Launch Party

September 30, 2013 in Book Event, John Gorham, McSweeney's, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Toro Bravo: Stories- R..., Uncategorized

We like to party. You like to party. Come party with us at Toro on Tuesday, Oct. 15th from 5-10pm for the book launch of Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull! There will be food, drinks, music and, of course, books. There's even a show at 8pm up in the Secret Society Ballroom. Here are the details from the announcement...

• Sidra De Nava Tasting by Virtue Cider • Live Music by Get a Life Marching Band • Tapas & Cocktails • Book Signing • Q&A with John and Liz • At 8pm The Century and Thanks will perform upstairs at The Secret Society.

If you didn't get a chance to hear Toro chef-owner John Gorham on OPB's Think Out Loud last Friday here's the link. It's a really great interview.

And we've got more events lined up (tour schedule) for the cookbook including a panel with the Le Pigeon folks this coming Sunday at Wordstock. Maybe we'll see you there?

Toro Bravo cookbook launch party Open to the public Tuesday, Oct. 15th 5-10pm at Toro Bravo www.torobravopdx.com

David Reamer, John Gorham and me at Powell's for our Toro Bravo cookbook event. Happy.

I Love Powell's

September 23, 2013 in Book Event, Book News, John Gorham, Powell's, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized, Wordstock

Our first official book event for Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull. was over the weekend at Powell's and it was great! Thanks to everyone who came out for it and to the Powell's folks who made it so great esp. Darcy, Morgan, Gin and Jeremy. If you weren't one of the lucky ones to get a pre-release copy of the book at it (we only had 18 copies and folks entered a raffle to get to buy them) Powell's will be locked and loaded with plenty of copies in a couple weeks.

After the reading. Before the bourbon. Sort of...

The official launch date for the book isn't until October 15th after all. (And that's the night of the book launch party at Toro from 5-10pm! Open to the public.) This Friday tune into OPB's Think Out Loud if you want to hear us talk about the book. And if you're around the weekend of October 5th we'll be at Wordstock that Sunday doing the same thing. Our incredible publishing house will be there too!

Hope you're doing well & burning the candle on both ends too. Because that means you're living life to the fullest. Love you.

Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipe. No Bull pub. date Oct. 15th $35, McSweeney's Books Buy from Powell's

Upcoming events & tour schedule

Got my first advance copy in the mail of the Toro Bravo cookbook!

Toro Bravo Cookbook Events

September 05, 2013 in Book Event, Book News, John Gorham, McSweeney's, Portland Food/Drink Event, Portland Restaurants, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Toro Bravo: Stories- R..., Uncategorized

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.

I've been making this rhubarb syrup the past few years with rhubarb from the front yard and it always turns out great. I mixed it with margaritas and also used it with my new favorite kitchen gadget below.

Yard Fresh Pt. 28

August 22, 2013 in Edible Gardening, Homemade Food, Portland DIY, Portland Gardening, Uncategorized

I'm still enjoying this incredible summer as much as possible (trips to the river, plum wine, dancing, reading, camping and much more) and working less than usual before the Toro Bravo cookbook storm hits. Right now we're in the planning stages for the tour that commences in one short month. (You can pre-order the cookbook now from Powell's and Amazon.) We'll be heading to New York, DC, Baltimore, San Francisco, Seattle, Boise and Eugene this fall for the book! I'll post more details about that soon as well as about the cookbook launch party. For now, save the date for it -- the evening of Tuesday, October 15th at Toro Bravo. If you've never been to a Toro party before expect to stay late and party hard. It's going to be crazy fun.

The garden is growing and in full swing and mostly I'm getting a lot of tomatoes which are my favorite in the summer. I could eat them for just about every meal -- in a scramble for breakfast, sliced with a little salt on toasted bread with mayo for lunch, chips and salsa for a snack, in a sauce or saute for dinner. I never get sick of garden fresh summer tomatoes. I also have pickling cukes, green beans, zucchini, grapes and all the herbs and more going strong now. Life is good.

Here's some of what I've cooked and eaten lately. What have you been happily eating?

I've wanted one of these for awhile and now I finally have one! Fizzy water around the clock. Mostly I just drink it straight up but it was pretty tasty with the rhubarb syrup.

Harvested the 90 or so softnecks and left it to cure a little too long. Pretty dry but that's ok. I think I'll roast some and store it in oil.

Butter lettuce, Choi's white kimchi (homemade), boiled egg, radish, scallions and miso lime vinaigrette. Really good salad.

First tomato haul with some of the early Concords.

River snack. Cottage cheese, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simple and perfect.

Late night camping trip bar prep of gingery Bloody Mary mix and margarita mix made with two bags of limes.

Sweet pea tomatoes or, as Kylie likes to call them...TINY TOMATOES!

Salame rolls with chipotle, preserved lemon cream cheese and a cornichon topper.

First spicy garlic dills of the season! Many more to come.

In late May I went on an incredible morel hunting camping trip in Washington and collected SIX pounds of morels! This is a morel cream sauce with eggs and rice for breakfast after I got back to town. So good.

Yard Fresh Pt. 27

July 19, 2013 in Book News, Edible Gardening, Food Preservation, Foraged Food, Portland DIY, Portland Gardening, Portland Mushrooms, Uncategorized

I'm really sorry that it's been so long since I've written anything here but I've been crazy busy finishing up two book projects and now I'm shutting down the mind machine a bit for some much needed summer fun. I plan to work as little as possible this summer. I've already been on a trip to Missoula and now I'm off for a week in Maine. After burning the candle on both ends for the past year I have absolutely no guilt about telling my usually very strong work ethic to fuck off.

Even though the Toro Bravo cookbook (you can pre-order it now!) is pretty much out of my hands now and soon to be on press for its fall release I've still been cooking from it. (I'll put together another cooking from the book post again soon too.) I've cooked and eaten a lot of other tasty things lately as well now that the garden is just about in full swing. Lately I've been eating a lot of arugula and greens, sugar snap peas and various herbs and berries from it. I harvested the garlic and it's curing in the utility room. Next up: tomatoes, cukes, chiles, green beans and more. I love summer.

Here's some of what I've cooked and eaten lately...

This is what went into the sauce above the night before -- morels, lemons, garlic, homemade plum wine and cream.

With sorrel from the garden and Edelwiess sausages over toast. Yum!

Homemade kimchi rice, egg and cheese never gets old.

Baguette sandwich with Freybe salame, tapenade and pickled peppers.

Some of the best deviled eggs I've ever made with fish sauce, kimchi, chives, sprinkled with togarashi

Used these spring onions in a bunch of things...

Arugula hazelnut preserved lemon pesto and my little friend.

Toro Bravo Blurbs

June 10, 2013 in Book Event, John Gorham, McSweeney's, Toro Bravo, Toro Bravo Cookbook, Uncategorized

I've been a little cross-eyed with work lately -- both of my current book projects' final deadlines are June 17th, next Monday! -- but I'm not letting the stress kick me especially not when we've been getting the most incredible feedback for the Toro Bravo cookbook (McSweeney's, October 2013) lately. Many of these blurbs below made me cry. I'm not embarrassed to share that. After working on the book for 2 1/2 years getting all of this praise from people I hugely admire, cultural heroes, is tears of joy inducing. I'll let them speak for themselves. The book comes out in October -- so soon now...

"John Gorham is a chef with a unique personality; he is magic. In his book Toro Bravo, he puts all his passion and soul into sharing Spanish cuisine with Americans. I'm certain both professional chefs and home cooks will love it."--Ferran Adrià, head chef at ElBulli
"Having gone to high school in Spain, some of my most vivid food memories are conjured by Spanish flavors. Gorham's dishes are not replicas of those in Barcelona or San Sebastian but their flavor and sensibility are as Spanish as anyone’s. These guys (and their stories) make Portland one of the most exciting restaurant cities in the world today."--Mario Batali
"John Gorham's cookbook is as outrageously delicious as his food, as lively as his restaurant (my second home in Portland), and as personable as he is. It is a shining testament to authentic cooking. Paying homage to the Spanish tradition and expressed in personal terms, John's cooking is entirely unique."--Paul Bertolli
"John Gorham seemingly mind-reads what we want to eat: comfort and craft popping with salty, sweet, spicy flavors. No one better translates Portland's raging gustatory desires and DIY spirit. This book captures the joy of Toro Bravo; all heart, no bull." --Karen Brooks, author of The Mighty Gastropolis
"Here in Portland, Toro Bravo carves an uncommon niche—simultaneously adventurous and comforting. This cookbook, like the restaurant itself, tells the story of one restless spirit's search for home. These are recipes you'll want to both cherish and share." --Carrie Brownstein, creator of Portlandia
"I’ve known John Gorham for over a decade, since I first got to town and he turned me down for a job. Since that fateful rainy morning, we've cooked together, confided in each other, commiserated (read: partied) together, and grown up significantly. Toro Bravo is the greatest expression of who John really is: nostalgic, spirited, brutally honest, fun as hell, and one of Portland's all-around-greatest chefs. The Toro Bravo cookbook captures his vision, ferocity, determination, and hilarity."--Jason French, chef-owner Ned Ludd
"So many of my Portland friends have recommended that I eat at Toro Bravo, over the years, that I couldn't ignore their suggestion. I've loved the restaurant's many ferments, amazing food, and entire aesthetic. In the Toro Bravo cookbook, Chef John Gorham, collaborating with writer Liz Crain, has not only made the flavors of Toro Bravo accessible to home cooks with excellent, easy-to-follow recipes, but shared fascinating stories of his journey to the helm of some of Portland's best restaurants. This book is filled with culinary inspiration."--Sandor Ellix Katz, Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation
"You're gonna love this cookbook. Toro Bravo brought something special to Portland when it opened, and still does: easy-to-love, Spanish-style food in a non-fussy atmosphere."--Stephen Malkmus, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
"Toro Bravo is so much more than a cookbook (though it does a damn fine job of being just that). It’s a passionate story of how one great chef found his way by following his heart and trusting his gut. It’s a moving memoir and a gastronomic map. It’s a practical guide and a culinary cri de coeur. It’s the book I’m going to press into everyone's hands." --Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild
"Toro Bravo is the amazing story of a man's life and the building of a great restaurant. I loved it."--Gus Van Sant
“The Toro Bravo cookbook is unique in its storytelling: John’s personal story, the stories of the restaurant's evolution, the stories behind the recipes. Toro Bravo's magic lies in its ability to seamlessly merge the art of cooking with the commerce of dining: these are small plates, with big ideas."--Andrew Zimmern, co-creator and host of Bizarre Foods

Pre-order the book!

Bollywood Theater's bhel puri with green and tamarind chutneys.

Taste of the Nation Portland 2013

May 30, 2013 in Portland Chefs, Portland Food/Drink Event, Portland Restaurants, Taste of the Nation, Taste of the Nation Po..., Uncategorized

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.

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.

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

Heidi Nestler's son Ranmu Fukushima illustrated this image of miso soup for one of her upcoming Japanese cooking classes at the Urban Farm Center.

Heidi Nestler's Cooking Classes at the Urban Farm Center

May 13, 2013 in Portland Cooking Classes, Portland DIY, Portland Japanese Food, The Urban Farm Center, Uncategorized

My friend Heidi Nestler -- who I first meet at this gathering way back when and who has been a part of the Portland Fermentation Festival since day one -- is about to start teaching cooking classes in Portland. The first one sounds great -- it's all about miso soup this Saturday, May 19th from 10:30am to 12:30pm at the Urban Farm Center. The class costs $20 per person and you can sign up for it here. Here's what Heidi has to say about it:

Good miso soup starts with good dashi! We will cover making dashi, the broth that is the base for miso soup, as well as a key ingredient in all Japanese cooking. We will make three different types of dashi. We will experiment with different types of miso and learn how to choose ingredients to put into your soup. We will explore the savory and satisfying world of the traditional Japanese breakfast. Hint: miso soup is at the heart of it. Miso soup is great at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’ll also show you how to make a clear soup which pairs well with sushi.

For $50 you can hang out all day at the Urban Farm Center, attend Heidi's miso class as well as her Japanese food tasting from 1pm to 2pm (try Japanese breakfast foods and dishes from every class that Heidi plans to offer) and her Japanese sea vegetable cooking class from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Here's what Heidi says about that one:

Learn to incorporate mineral rich seaweed and kelp dishes into your everyday life. We will learn to make traditional dishes including salads, soups, savory side dishes and condiments to enjoy with rice. We will be using konbu, hijiki, nori, wakame, and more. We will also experiment with adding seaweed to more Western style foods.

In upcoming months Heidi will teach all sorts of affordable cooking classes at the Urban Farm Center including a class on DIY natto, Japanese pickles, dairy ferments and more. I'm not sure which ones I'm going to go to yet but hopefully I'll see you at one. Sign up soon before they fill up!

Heidi Nestler Cooking Classes www.heidinestler.com

Urban Farm Center 3736 SE Harvey St. Milwaukie, Oregon 97222 503.449.2402 www.urbanfarmcenter.com

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