At the moment, the list contains 6 distinct ideas. In no particular order, here’s what I’ve got brewing in my imagination:

1. Taco Party: I came across this thought after preparing a pork dish and feeling a bit of dissatisfaction with the result. A while ago I found this recipe in The New York Times Magazine, knowing that I was buying a chunk of pork through Afton Field Farm. Well, suffice to say, I was not happy with the meal and decided that the best way to cook a pork shoulder or slab of pork butt was in the crock pot. Forget the fancy plating, I want to make tacos! Thus is born the need for a taco party.

Here’s the vision: People are assigned dishes so that we can create the ultimate taco party experience. I would want to make some pulled pork, and we’d have folks bring chicken and vegetarian options. Bowls of pickled radishes and carrots, piles of cilantro and sliced limes. I love the idea of having a party where everyone hangs out and downs delicious tacos. Maybe some beer and tequila, no matter to me. Of the various ideas, this one looms in the nearest of futures.

2. Fondue Night: Almost a year ago this time I received donated cookware for the classes I was about to teach. Originally, we thought that the classroom equipment was off limits and that we would need to provide our own cooking tools, hence the solicitation. Not only were we wrong, but I also received a ton of donated goods. Everything was given away – knifes, cutting boards, bowls, measuring cups, etc – except for one item. One kind woman donated a new though dated, fondue set. I knew then and I know now, that such an item would be of little use to a household that struggles to make ends meet, let along prepare a bourgeoise dinner affair. So I held on to it.

So now I have a fondue set and I have yet to use it. Though rich and luxurious in flavor and texture, everyone would like to dip something in a big pot of melted cheese or chocolate. Here, the potluck setup is super easy. Each person brings something to dip and a bottle of wine. We dip, we drink, we dine. What could be better than this? In winter no less!

3. Youtube Party: These days, it’s almost inevitable that a guest or friend or total stranger feels invested in sharing their favorite YouTube video. For me, it got to the point where there was a whole series of videos I felt inclined to share. So why not have a party focused on this very need?

I’m thinking that the people invited must come up with 3 favorite YouTube clips and maybe they are emailed to me or written down. The food is of course, potluck style. After eating and drinking we gather round the computer. Like the television parties of the 90′s, let’s celebrate the ingenuity of the internet and all them crazy folks out there.

Food wise, I’m not certain on the theme. Maybe bar food? I suppose it could really be anything. More to consider…

4. Pho Night: This thought has been around for a long while. I think it first occurred to me while we were living in Minneapolis. Between the frigid winter nights and our amazing meat CSA, maybe the idea was inevitable?! In any case, I like the idea.

Ironically (or not,) most of the ingredients are summertime finds, but I never wanted to make the soup in the summer. Another winter night gathering, I now envision the evening occurring on a wet winter night here in Portland. The excitement for me is the broth. To make proper broth for pho (pronounced fuh,) you boil beef shank and spices. On this night (unlike previous suggestions,) I think I’d make all the pho and have guests bring wine. Or maybe I could make the broth and guests could bring the toppings. Either way, this will be an awesome dinner party.

5. Settlers of Catan – Night of the Savages!: Yes, it’s true! I play geeky strategy board games, Settlers being one among many. The game takes place on the island of Catan and each player represents a groups of settlers, competing for resources. In my mind, the settlers are all savages and hang out in their loin cloths eating freshly grilled legs of wild boar. So, here’s the vision:

Five people attend (as I have the expansion pack and up to 6 people can play.) Maybe other people bring their boards and then more folks can participate. Before and during game play, we feast on meat! Everyone who comes would prepare a meat dish. No grains or vegetables, just meat. I, on the other hand, for those health-minded urban savages, will prepare a vat of mashed root vegetables and a giant bowl of salad. Honestly, this sounds awesome!

6. Fall Party: I recently realized that fall (or autumn) is officially my favorite season. This hunch has grown over the last few years – when I discovered winter squashes, brussels sprouts and kale – my world changed completely. And then a few weeks ago I was hunting for chanterelles and the leaves were just amazing. And thus I’m sold on the colors, flavors and foods of Fall!

Not to get too overboard, but I want to have a potluck that celebrates the foods of fall. Each person brings a dish that features fall vegetables, fruit or mushrooms. And then we feast!

*

So there you have it. This is the current list and as it grows I’m sure I’ll want to share. You can definitely expect a post on the event, after is occurs. When it comes to dreaming and cooking, there’s no end to my imagination.

Related posts:

1. Cuisines of the World Potluck – Denmark
2. Winding Down Winter (weekly menu 26)
3. Filling up the freezer

Culprits of a Marketing "Scam"

To the average shopper, these harmless plastic bags of dried mushrooms are nothing but that. But to the discerning eye of a mushroom forager, there is a marketing scam upon us. Although not pictured above, this company also sells a USDA certified, organic morel mushroom. But, as you may or may not know, the morel mushroom – aka morchella – is incapable of being farmed. That is to say, you can only find fresh morels in the forest. How then, can there be a USDA certified, organic morel mushroom for sale at the New Seasons Market?

Last night I perused the aisles of our neighborhood New Seasons while waiting for my wife. For a food-obsessed, meal-planning aficionado, I am always seeking another meal idea. At one point in my elongated stroll through the store, I came upon a surprising product – a USDA certified, organic morel mushroom (dried of course.) As someone who spends each spring (the last 3 at least) in the woods, hunting an elusive wild edible, how on Earth could there be an “organic” wild mushroom? Aren’t all “wild” mushrooms organic by their very nature? When you’re trekking through a mountainous region, miles from cars, urban centers and chemical-spewing factories, how could the found morel not be organic?

The cost of the non-organic morel was $14.49 an ounce. The organic morels cost $21.49!  The difference in price + the ridiculousness of an organic wild mushroom = a phone call to the company.

When my wife arrived at the store and found me glaring at packages of wild mushrooms, she quickly figured out my concern. Within a minute she was on the phone with a gentleman who works for Mycological Nature Products. Here is what she discovered:

The non-organic morels are foraged in the Pacific NW. The United States does not have any vast tracts of forest that are certified organic. Even though the mushrooms found in the woods are literally organic (by their very nature,) they do not meet the official certification standards of the USDA. At the same time, other countries have devoted large pieces of land to being USDA certified organic. The country responsible for the mushrooms in this package is CHINA.

The company acknowledges that “organic” is a popular term among consumers. Since so many shoppers want to buy organic, they must find a way to sell organic morel mushrooms. Even if this means transporting morel mushrooms from a distant place.

I believe this marketing ploy illustrates the dangers of the organic food movement, the dark side perhaps. Our collective obsession with “organic,” especially as a marketing term, has actually created a new industry that distracts the goals of the first. Fundamentally, the aim of organic farming is that the plants are treated without chemicals because the toxicity of some fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc are disastrous for the environment and our health.

And yet, as this movement has grown and influenced many other businesses, our desire to purchase organic products has blinded us. It would make far more sense to state where the mushrooms are foraged, so that the buyer can make a more educated choice. But producers do not want us to be too educated because then we might not buy their product.  It seems to me, that if we base our consumption on the presence of a single word, this really shows how little we care to know.

If we succumb to the mesmerizing stories of food producers, especially those told on packaged goods in the grocery store, we will pay more than necessary; and we will fall right into their hands and consume without thinking.

Related posts:

1. Local Food Movement Gains Serious Support
2. Foraging (part 1)
3. Why “organic” isn’t good enough (or) the versatility of the tomato

I mentioned in last Friday’s weekly menu post that unlike our regular meals, this Thanksgiving feast will be simple and straight forward. In our home Thanksgiving is not about pilgrims and natives; at least we do not want to celebrate a fabricated lie that romanticizes America’s brutal history between these two groups. That said, there are themes to the holiday we do enjoy, specifically sharing with others, spending time with family and celebrating the harvest. It’s true that technically, Thanksgiving falls after the actual fall harvest; but when most people think of this holiday, they think of vegetables that grow this season. I should also note that unlike chickens, turkeys take many months to grow. Therefore, it is fitting to eat turkey in the fall if the chicks were born in the spring. So turkey is in season too.

When writing the menu for our meal I was focused on two ideas – seasonality and simplicity. I grew up in a household that loved Thanksgiving, and it was the one meal that “deserved” elaborate dishes. Upon the elongated table lay all the standard culinary accoutrements: turkey, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green beans, cranberry molds, and pie pie pie. If If we had the money, the time, the kitchen and the community to feed, it may be possible to relive that memory. But truth be told, I would rather prepare a simple meal. I am excited for our Thanksgiving because the menu is about the season a and the ingredients reflect where we live.

With the cooler weather comes the stovetop and oven. I love to braise, broil, roast and bake. On Thursday we will roast roast roast. The only portion of the main meal that will require a multi-step recipe is the stuffing. Everything else will stand on its own. Here is the plan:

• Roasted turkey with butter, salt, pepper and fresh herbs
• Gravy with the juices and giblets from the bird
• Roasted brussels sprouts (olive oil, salt, pepper)
• Roasted beets
• Roasted acorn squash (butter and brown sugar)
• Wild mushroom stuffing (will include chanterelle and morel mushrooms we foraged this year)

And of course a pumpkin and pecan pie for dessert.

I’m convinced that this menu will be affordable, efficient to make and incredibly delicious. Later next week, I’ll have some photos to share.

No matter what you do this holiday weekend, enjoy your friends, family and community. Eat, relax and drink. Celebrate the season and remember to thank the farmers and the cook!

Related posts:

1. Lessons Learned
2. Simple, healthy and delicious
3. Bring Me the Meat! (weekly menu 13)

A friend sent me a great article from The New York Times titled, “A Hypnotizing Hunt Leaves Russians Bewildered.” For those of you who have hunted mushrooms, you will empathize with the experiences of these die-hard foragers. But for those of you who are alive, maybe you will not. It so happens that when mushroom season hits, many people leave for the woods and some don’t return. No offense to the loss of loved ones, but I find this funny, not to be too sardonic or anything.  There’s something humorous in the idea that every fall the rescue teams are wary of mushroom hunters.

Aleksandr Zmanovsky, who leads a rescue team near Bratsk, said nearly every year someone goes into the wild and is never found — often because of bears, who so thoroughly bury the remains of a body that “we will never find anything.”

An older generation knew how to navigate by the angle of the light, he said.

“If a person just puts on his sneakers and goes into the taiga, or someone drives him there and he doesn’t know where he is, then of course he gets lost,” Mr. Zmanovsky said. “I call those people the children of asphalt, those who grew up in the city. People who grew up in villages, they don’t get lost.”

Children of the Asphalt – what a telling phrase! Throughout the article I remembered our various mushroom adventures and the fear I often have of getting lost. Lucky for me, my neuroticism prevails so that no bear finds me alone in the woods, hunched over examining a potential specimen. And yet, I think one of the real joys in “the hunt” is this tendency to lose oneself in the meander. The act of wandering through the woods, just gazing at the ground is hypnotic. It’s also liberating from the silly anguish of city life, even meditative at times.

My desire to learn how to forage wild edibles has ironically grown from my urban lifestyle. Since college I have always lived in a city and always romanticized the great outdoors. Over the years I learned how to source produce and meat from local farms (i.e. within 100 miles.) I suppose the interest in foraging developed in two ways: 1. my wife loves mushrooms and introduced me to foraging and 2. looking at fancy recipes and realizing that some of the ingredients I could either grow myself or forage. And so began the hobby for hunting mushrooms and other wild plants.

The article also raises an important issue for me – how connected we are to our food. I will be the first to praise the local food movement and all its progress. The rise in farmer’s markets and home gardening are really positive signs. Maybe this is the first step of moving beyond “children of the asphalt.” That said, I want more people to try foraging. The experience of looking for an edible plant in the woods or at the beach or on a hillside is exhilarating. I don’t want to say one is better than the other, but if you want to truly connect to your food, I recommend the good ol’ hunter and gatherer method. What better way to boycott the industrial food system than by leaving the city altogether and returning to the woods!

Ah. How romantic.

Just watch out for the bears and the hunters and poisonous mushrooms and getting lost!

Related posts:

1. The Dark Side of the Organic Food Movement
2. Foraging (part 1)
3. Success!

Finally, we found ourselves some chanterelle mushrooms!

I am thrilled to report the success we had this afternoon, trekking through the woods, the ferns and the deep, soft humus. If the saying “three times a charm” means anything, then I suppose today it came through. A month ago we looked and found no chanterelles, but a gorgeous chicken of the woods. The second time we ventured – no chanterelles – but we did find some lobster mushrooms. Today, after a little more internet research, I found us the perfect place to find Cantharellus cibarius. Between the two of us we found roughly 5 pounds of mushrooms. And like a ‘good’ mushroom forager, I cannot share the “secret spot.”

When I wrote the menu for this week’s meals I wanted to eat 100% NW cuisine. Today’s successful foraging will help along with this goal. Though I must admit, tonight we deviated from the plan. Because we found so many mushrooms and were too tired to prepare any sort of massive feast, we used some leftover ingredients in the kitchen to make ourselves a spontaneous meal of our own devising.

We began with the iron skillet – placed over a medium-high heat with a whopping 3 tablespoons of butter. Once that had melted and the bubbles fizzled out a bit, we threw in about 2 tablespoons of sliced shallots.

Shallots and butter are two main ingredients to a good cream sauce.

The shallots cooked for 2-3 minutes. I knew that they should not cook till browned as that would suggest too high a heat. Instead we cooked them till soft and then threw in 1 pound of chopped up mushrooms.

The chanterelles were cut into 1 inch slices.

It is important to note that chanterelles are not cultivated in a structured environment, i.e. you can’t grow them in the garden; you have to find them in the woods. That said, chanterelles are dirty mushrooms. They are covered in pine needles, dirt and maybe insects of varying type. If you purchase this type of mushroom and it’s looking rather spotless, you may want to find out how that was done. Even grocery store chanterelles should have a little dirt on them. We like to see this earthly matter as proof of wild food. Unlike portabellos or crimini mushrooms that sometimes look like they are grown in uniform conditions, these beauties come in all shapes and sizes. Though as you may notice, older chanterelles have a trumpet shape. I also learned today that a great way to identify real chanterelles vs. false ones is smell. A real one smells like apricots!

Notice the different ways the mushroom's top curls.

Another important characteristic of the chanterelle is the gill structure, aka the lamellae. Underneath the curling top lies a series of blunt ridges that look like gills. Unlike other mushrooms, on a chanterelle these ridges stretch from the top to the stem. As far as I understand, these “gills,” the common golden color (though they do appear in other shades), and the trumpet-like lid are common characteristics for most folks to identify the exact mushroom. For those mushrooms we picked that did not perfectly fit our identification needs, they were tossed out with the collected insects and stray pieces of dirt.

Anyways, back to the cooking!

So, the chopped mushrooms were added to the butter and shallots and cooked for 5-7 minutes. We wanted chanterelles soft and chewable for our salivating palates. After enough minutes passed, we poured about 3/4 cup of cream into the pan. Salt and pepper was also added. The mushrooms and sauce cooked for a couple more minutes. All the while, the pasta was drained and some parsley was minced.

Chanterelles, cream, shallots, butter, salt and pepper.

I suppose this meal is one of the more classic means of preparing wild mushrooms.  If you look online for recipes, you will often see butter and cream with wild mushrooms. Looking at our menu for the week, I think this is a good meal to continue our regional cuisine experience. (Last night we had some locally sourced lamb chops with fresh vegetables.)

The final dish was composed of pasta, piled in the middle of a bowl, covered with the chanterelles and cream sauce, some minced parsley and a little bit of finely grated parmesan cheese. Damn, do we eat like royalty!

Viola!

Related posts:

1. Foraging (part 1)
2. The Dark Side of the Organic Food Movement
3. Cuisines of the World potluck – Vietnam

From a political and economic perspective, the local food movement is also about sustainability and local food economies. As an economy of scale, the food movement could be regional or within a neighborhood in a city. The vegetable grower at the farmer’s market is an excellent example. You go to the market and you meet the person or family that planted the seed, that watered the plant and harvested the crop for sale at the market. There are no “middle men,” processing facilities or delivery trucks from the other side of the country. There is the consumer and the producer, standing eye to eye and creating a very real monetary exchange.

To move beyond the farmer’s market, the local food movement also invigorates people to learn foraging methods. In this way, instead of an economy we return to the ‘old ways’ of food procurement: hunting and gathering. At this point in time I do not think one is better than the other – foraging and farmer’s markets. Both are opportunities to reestablish a sense of self in a place, again both urban or rural.

For this week’s menu I want to participate in both means of local food production. Tomorrow we will return to the woods to hunt mushrooms; and Sunday we will return to the market to buy produce. To assist me with this strictly local meal plan, I went to the library and found the perfect book: The Pacific Northwest by Jean Galton and published by Williams-Sonoma. Of the seven meals I planned, 4 are from this cookbook and the other 3 I put together. Next week’s menu is the following (asterisks are next to recipes from the book):

• lamb chops with parsnip puree and roasted broccoli
• poached chicken with delicata squash and chanterelle mushrooms
• red lentil soup with walla walla marmalade *
• chicken, blue cheese and arugula salad *
• polenta with mushrooms and hazelnuts *
• macaroni and cheese with onions and kale with buttered bread crumbs *
• potato and fennel gratin with roasted broccoli *

I have to admit, I am really really excited about these meals. The recipes are fairly easy and the ingredient list is not that bad – everything can be purchased at the farmer’s market. This ‘project’ got me thinking about regional meals, and if any of my readers live in other parts of the country, maybe you could share some meals you have made that reflect your sense of place.

Related posts:

1. The Urban Farming Revolution
2. Does eating seasonally equal eating “American?” (weekly menu 6)
3. The 100-Mile Diet vs. World Hunger (part 3)

To be honest, my partner got me started on the whole idea of foraging. My partner is a hobby mycologist which is a fancy way of saying she likes fungi (mushrooms.) Mycology is the study of fungi; and though she is no professional, when we go camping I promise you she has a copy of the North American mushroom encyclopedia!

It began with morels or morchella which pop up in early spring. Once the weather warms up and the soil temperatures hit a warmer number, these beautiful mushrooms start standing among the trees and underneath the fallen leaves. They are mysterious and loved by many fungi connoisseurs. For the last several years we have searched and we have found. Lucky we are to find them.

A black morel.

Now that we are back in the NW which is basically ‘mushroom country,’ we hope to hunt more and more. This autumn we attempted to find chanterelles and had no luck. Though we did find a chicken of the woods. As a matter of fact we may return to the woods this weekend to search once more. Chanterelles need that heavy rain in the beginning of the season to grow. Now that so much rain has fallen, I’m hoping we will have a better chance.

Cantharellus cibarius

Between the two of us, I like the chanterelles and my partner likes the morels. Lucky for her we have only successfully foraged the latter. Last year while living in Minneapolis, we ventured to the SE corner of the state to find the Minnesota state mushroom – Morchella. I love that states have a ‘state mushroom;’ how quirky is that?!

Well last spring our mushroom hunting included a new wild desire: ramps (wild leeks). Having not hunted them before, we were a little lost at first; but upon realizing what they looked like in the ground, we were besides ourselves to realize that they were everywhere! We foraged around 200 of the tasty little plants. I have never had a plant so simply cooked and so unbelievably flavorful. If you get your hands on some next spring, toss them in olive oil and throw on the grill for 5 seconds. The greens will sizzle and the white head will caramelize if you leave it on the grill for a couple more minutes. These are really, really good.

The best part was sharing the harvest with friends and neighbors.

During that same trip we were also very fortunate to find ourselves some morels. Though I must add that this was significantly more challenging. Once foraged, we dry them out and store them in a plastic bag. These tasty morsels are then used sparingly until next spring.

Once dried the morel shrinks by more than half and stores easily in a bag.

Morels are fun to cook with because when they are rehydrated with hot water, a rich and woodsy broth is created with the liquid. In the past I have made fettucini with a cream sauce and morels. With last year’s harvest we made a omellete with the ramps and mushrooms and a little bit of parmesan. But the real winner was a short ribs dish with polenta and ribs encrusted with morels. Wow. That dish is equivalent to the recent lamb shank extravaganza I made last week.

Even as we have had some successful jaunts in the woods with good food to share, there is still SO MUCH more wild food  to discover.

There are numerous sites devoted to forgaging wild plants and my knowledge of them is tiny. But if you are a book reader and still have a membership to the library, try and get your hands on any book by Euell Gibbons. Gibbons was introduced to me by a friend of mine in Minneapolis (the same friend pushed us to forage ramps.) I believe his most famous work is Hunting the Wild Asparagus. Many of his books are focused on wild foods. Considering he grew up during the dust bowl era and spent most of his life sustaining himself on foraged foods, he is the king of foraging (in my opinion.) His books are not only incredibly informative but his writing style is very enjoyable. Part-essayist and part-memoir, he writes about each plant with acute knowledge and a clear passion for this way of life. Nowadays he would be considered an extremist, but I think given his historical context, he had to learn to feed himself when food was scarce.

Today, in my world, food is not scarce. I can go to any grocery store or coop or farmers market and see wild amounts of grown food. But in this desire to connect with the farmer, or maybe connect with the growing process itself, I am totally fascinated by the original connection to the natural environment. There is certainly a degree of romanticism, but I genuinely want to learn how to forage my own food. I want to be able to go for a walk in the woods and not bring a snack because I see snacks all around me. This goal is a long ways a way but its got to start somewhere. Maybe next spring I’ll fulfill my current forage fantasy: foraged ramps and morels with stream-caught trout! How fantastic would that be. Until then, I better learn how to fish.

Related posts:

1. The Dark Side of the Organic Food Movement
2. Success!
3. Children of the Asphalt

Obviously there is a spectrum when we answer this question. The first thing that comes to my mind is fast food and varieties of colorful processed-food packages. And yet, I am not eating any of that. We pride ourselves on not using processed foods in our cooking, and rarely do we use commercially canned goods. I love eating seasonally, but when I sit down to write a menu, I can’t help but return to either:

• classic comfort food
• a meal of meat, veggies and grain
• the occasional “ethnic” dish (or)
• a recipe from our ‘kitchen favorites’ list (not a literal list but one of nostalgia between B and I)

Regarding the spectrum of “Americana cuisine,” I think we can agree there is not one clear type. Like many (if not all) other countries, the United States is divided into regions as well as states. I am originally from Virginia and now I live in Oregon. Even though both states rest along an ocean and a mountain range, I immediately consider southern style  vs NW cooking. The seasons are the same, but what fruits and vegetables are accessible in these differing climates affect the regional cuisine. For example, the NW is famous for wild mushrooms – morels, chanterelle, oyster, maitake, etc. I could buy these ingredients at a grocery store by my folk’s home, but that doesn’t mean the foods are indigenous to the place. And because of this disconnect, it would seem rather strange to see wild mushrooms on a menu in Norfolk, VA (my hometown) at a restaurant claiming “local food.” The same could be said for eating blue crab at a restaurant in Portland. So maybe the first response to the question, what is American food, would discuss the regionalism of our country’s cuisine.

Another more obvious answer would claim, “We are a nation of immigrants. There is no one type of food that dominates this country (except processed foods.) Thus our ‘American cuisine’ is really a melting pot of flavors, spices and techniques.” Okay, so we have lots of passed-down ethnic foods. Why then, when I want to make a casserole, I do not see many Norwegian casserole recipes when I search “casserole recipe?” In other words, where did the authenticity of the dish go?

These questions came to me yesterday while visiting a SE Asian grocery store. Vieng Lao Orietnal Food Center is a small store on Killingsworth, right between I-5 and the PCC campus. The store is filled with large sacks of rice, strange candies and snacks, aisles of products that both intrigue and disgust me (no offense.) Honestly, for the convenience of its location and the very affordable prices, its where I go to get coconut milk, special ingredients when I cook “Asian” food, and sometimes to explore the my imagination. Yesterday, while perusing the aisles, I was struck by how little I consider non-American cuisine when writing a menu. In fact, the one dish in next week’s menu that has any “ethnic” flare is rice noodles with veggies and a peanut sauce. Funny how noodles of a different grain and sauce of a different texture, make the dish “Asian” in my mind.

On that note, let me share with you the menu. Consider some of these questions when you write a menu. I think these issues of authenticity and assimilation are interesting when looking at what we eat as Americans (assuming you live in this country.)

• Gratin of potatoes with white cheddar and tarragon (I wanted to use up some excess cheddar cheese in casserole form, and this recipe looks pretty darn good. Also, this meal will be for a potluck.)
• Tomato and Mozzarella Lasagna and side salad (Is this an Italian casserole or an American casserole?)
• Roasted chicken in adobo marinade with steamed broccoli and roasted acorn squah
• Vegetables with rice noodles and peanut sauce
• White bean and escarole soup
• 3 side dishes – I’m thinking spicy cauliflower, carrot and beet salad, and roasted brussels sprouts

In some ways I see this menu as a mishmash of ideas and wants. I’m digging the casserole technique – pile veggies, cream and cheese in a pan and cook till crispy. What better way to enjoy the cooling weather?! At the same time, I want to start diving in to the new season’s produce. We love squash, brussels sprouts and root vegetables. As the season continues I think our meals will reflect the changes (or at least I want to think so.)

In the meantime, I want to get some cookbooks on NW cuisine. Now that I live here, I should familiarize myself with the authentic flavors of the region. Do you think its possible to eat NW cuisine without eating seafood all the time?

Related posts:

1. Asian Madness (weekly menu 9)
2. The Pains of Eliminating (weekly menu 19)
3. Cuisines of the World potluck – Vietnam

Beef marinaded in fish sauce, lemongrass, shallots and garlic then hand-wrapped in betel leaves.

A couple of years ago I gave my wife a cookbook on Vietnamese cuisine since this has been her favorite for some time. The ‘dish’ to the left is one that we both enjoy and she (more than I) also likes the process.

First the ground beef marinates in a blend of garlic, lemongrass, shallots, fish sauce and curry powder. Then a tablespoon or so is wrapped in a betel leaf, which we were surprised to see are actually humongous in size – maybe a foot in diameter!

Once broiled for 5-10 minutes these skewers are dipped in a pungent sauce with more fish sauce, serrano peppers, garlic and other wonderful ingredients. These finger-foods were very popular and enjoyed by the few meat-eaters at the table.

Many Vietnamese dished require immense prep work. For my dish I had to slice, soak, mince and dice onions, chives, garlic, mushrooms, catfish and fresh mint.

My dish (no photo available) was called “fried noodles with fish,” and to be honest it required more prep time than I anticipated. The final dish was pretty good and may not have been worth all of the time preparing it. At the same time, the process of preparing this dish was exciting. Does that sound strange? What I mean is that the process of preparing each ingredient and then plating them all on the cutting board, showed me just how flavorful and fresh this food can be.

In a wok I fried bean noodles, catfish, all of the above ingredients and then tossed in some diced serrano peppers and piled the mass in a serving dish. Again, I forgot to take a picture of the final product but I like the image of the individual ingredients.

The other dishes below were made by our guests. Each dish was truly enjoyed by everyone who participated, and now we all eagerly await the next “Cuisine of the World potluck.”

Spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce.

Papaya Salad

Bun (pronounced boon) with tofu

With scores of ethnic cuisines to explore, this potluck idea will help all of us endure the long winter ahead. I am already excited to host again because I want to do Turkish food, though I will have to wait. The next theme brings us to Denmark! Danish food will be more challenging only because I have no idea what kind of food to create. But the challenge is what makes it all worthwhile.

Related posts:

1. Cuisines of the World Potluck – Morocco
2. Cuisines of the World Potluck – Portugal
3. Cuisines of the World Potluck – Denmark

For one, my wife’s birthday is Tuesday and we are going out to eat at a new restaurant called Ping. I first read about it in Edible Portland, a seasonal publication devoted to local foods – restaurants, farms, CSAs, seasonal recipes, etc. I think it’s a rather fantastic publication and it is available in cities across the country (for free no less). And of course each city’s publication revolves around local food in that area. When we lived in Minneapolis we enjoyed it as well. Edible Portland is an excellent source for those interested in finding a CSA in the Portland area or tapping into the enormous local food movement here.

Anyways, in a past issue they wrote an article on a new restaurant called Ping. Since I’m not one to review restaurants and there are plenty of other sites devoted to that, I will not say much more of the place other than I look forward to eating there next week. Eating out always throws off the menu planning even though it also serves as such a pleasure to avoid dirty dishes and heating up the already hot kitchen.

The next night we are attending an “art and food opening” at our friends super-cool vintage photo and book store, Ampersand.     Each month during the summer he has an art opening. This one is right up my alley. In conjunction with Slow Food Portland he is bringing in the artist, Mark Menjivar, whom is unknown to me but his work looks awesome. As far as I understand he traveled America taking photos of people’s refrigerators to capture the essence of American food culture in the home. The art show includes a potluck and Q&A with the artist. The Slow Food influence suggests that any food brought to the potluck contain locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. At the moment I am thinking of bringing a blackberry and peach cobbler.

One other wrench in the system occurs on Friday night with our first “cuisines of the world” potluck. Borrowing a friend’s idea, I am coordinating the first of (hopefully) many potlucks in which the host chooses a cuisine from anywhere in the world and everyone prepares a dish from that culture. I am really excited about this because a) I love potlucks b) I love learning how to cook in other cultural cuisines and c) each month we will get to experience a new world of food. Although not particularly esoteric, we chose Vietnamese. We both love Vietnamese food and since I am gluten-free this type of food is especially fitting. I have chosen to prepare a noodle dish with fish, herbs and mushrooms and my lady has chosen a beef roll with dipping sauce. After the event I intend on posting some photos of the food and commenting on the overall experience.

Aside from all of this action, I am planning on some meals. To keep things simple and cheap I am thinking we will cook,

• Beans, rice and broccoli
• Vegetable stir-fry with miso
• Braised lamb shanks with polenta and greens

The last dish may sound “fancy” but we have the shanks from our last shipment of meat. I have polenta in the cupboard and greens are plentiful this time of year. All in all, I think this will cover our budgets and stomachs. Just in case, I think any leftover cash will go towards other make-shift meals.

So that’s the “vision” for next week. I look forward to posting on the Vietnamese potluck and maybe getting a photo of the lamb too. We leave this afternoon for a weekend of hunting the chanterelle mushroom (very very excited)!

Related posts:

1. Cuisines of the World potluck – Vietnam
2. Kale, how I love thee (weekly menu 5)
3. Seasonal and then some (weekly menu 4)