Quiche It Up!

My first "Mom" recipe I ever tried my hand at was her Italian Zucchini Quiche. It was for a high school French club gathering, and man, they ate it up. I have since figured out that quiche is simply an egg-and-cheese pie, and you can throw whatevah you have on hand in that bad boy. Last week, it was bacon and shallots - little twist on the traditional "Quiche Lorraine" but I used cheddar instead of swiss. I'm calling it Bacon-Shallot Quiche. Quite original, aren't I? Oh yeah, and I used store-bought pie crusts because....that's what I had in the freezer. I don't want to hear any lip because we all know I can bust out the Pâte Brisée with the best of 'em! My secret ingredient to any quiche is Dijon mustard spread onto the pre-baked crust. It really adds great flavor.

Bacon-Shallot Quiche

One pie crust at room temperature
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large shallot, diced
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pie crust into pie pan, pressing firmly on the bottom and sides. Form the edges into a raised crust - flute if you'd like. Place a square of parchment or waxed paper over the pie crust and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights if you have them. Cover the edge with a pie ring or foil. (Also, DON'T use foil to line the pie crust with its weights. It tends to stick.) Slide the pie crust into the oven on the middle-lower rack and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave the oven at 425 degrees and set the pie crust somewhere so it can cool a bit. When it's cool, remove the parchement and weights. Spread Dijon over the cooled crust.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, brown the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain fat off as needed. I find it gets crispier if you take out some of the extra fat. Scoop out bacon bits onto a paper towel on a plate.

Turn the heat down a tad. Add shallots to the pan with the bacon fat, stirring often to prevent burning. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Remove from pan into a bowl or plate (they can share with the bacon, if you want) so they cool off some.



In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs until thoroughly mixed, then add milk and whisk until combined. Add the cheese, bacon and shallots to egg mixture. Carefully pour egg mixture into prepared pie crust.


(The crust here is a little darker than I wanted because I *forgot* to cover the edge in the first baking. Do as I say, not as I do.)



Cover the edge with the pie ring or foil. Place in the 425 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. I usually have to bake it another 5 minutes or so, but ovens vary.

**Edit: My mom helpfully pointed out that I didn't include any seasonings. Well, duh, I did add a teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of pepper. I neglected to include that, so, sorry. ADD SALT AND PEPPER.

Apizza Scholls

After an annoying day of work, a bothersome trip to the laundromat, and a necessary application of Rain-x on my car windows, some comfort food was in order. I had my heart set of Apizza Scholls over on upper Hawthorne. For those who don't know, Apizza is the New Haven pizza style. What does that mean? Hmmm...Wikipedia has this to say: "New Haven-style pizza, also known as apizza, [is] popular in southern Connecticut. It has a thin crust that varies between chewy and tender, depending on the particular establishment. The default version is a "white" pizza topped with only garlic and hard cheeses; customers who want tomato sauce or mozzarella cheese have to ask for them explicitly. Apizza has a very dark, "scorched" crisp crust that offers a distinctive bitter flavor, which can be offset by the sweetness of tomatoes or other toppings."

While I don't know that Scholls' "default" pizza is the white pie, they have one on the menu, and the crust descriptions are certainly accurate. Imported upskirt photo from their website:



See those charred spots? They do not taste burnt - they impart a smoky, deep flavor that I haven't experienced before. The crust is this perfect mix of chewy-crunchy with a malty-sweet-smoky taste. I really haven't had better anywhere.

Two things that are always mentioned in connection with Apizza Scholls are the wait and the rules. I will mention them, too. First off, the wait can be horrendous. Don't show up on the first balmy night of the summer at 6:30 - everyone else will be there, too, and you will wait 90 minutes to get seated. Space is limited. It is *much* better than it used to be, though, since they took over the space next door and outfitted it with another bar, a private dining space, 5 or so tables that can hold parties of eight, and a nice, comfy waiting area with window seats. The best way to go is to show up right at 5pm when they open. You'll either be seated right away or very soon. Now, there are rules for your pizza and they are in place for your own good. Only three ingredients per pizza. Only one meat per pizza. No, you cannot order pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and olives. And you don't want to, really. It would mess up the delicate balance of crust+sauce+cheese+toppings. You want to taste the crust and sauce in every bite, don't you? Of course you do.

In my 3 or 4 visits in a year-and-a-half span, I've tried a few different pies. 'Margo'rita - Tomato sauce, mozzarella (whole milk & fresh), grana padano, pecorino romano, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil; Amore - the 'Margo'rita plus hot capicollo; Sausage - house made sausage!; Clams Casino - no longer on the menu, but I think it was a white pie with clams in the shell, guanciale (unsmoked bacon from the pig's jowl), garlic; and Tartufo Bianco - Mozzarella (whole milk & fresh), grana padano, pecorino romano with Truffle Oil & sea salt.

My favorite is the sausage with mushrooms, and second place is held for the Amore. Last night we ordered a half-and-half of both and I couldn't have been happier. I was glad to try the Clams Casino the one time. It's a very intense and rich flavor and I couldn't imagine eating more than one piece. Surprisingly enough, I didn't care for the tartufo. I love truffle oil, but this combination came off dry and salty for me. Some folks go ga-ga over it, so try if you think you'd like it.


[Sausage pie photo from the website]

The menu also features a great Caesar salad. Get the anchovies. If you're into it, the Barbera d'Alba Deltetto 2004 is a great match with any red-sauce pizza.

Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
503-233-1286
Open Tuesday - Saturday 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Reservations taken for parties of 8-12 only; one per night

Happy Birthday, David Bowie!

A New Blog I Like to Read

...is Jeff McCarthy's. He is the new Pastry Chef at Ten 01 and has been at Carlyle, Roux and Fenouil most recently. I can't wait to try his desserts. Maybe even the Irish Car Bomb will make an appearance???!!!

Long Time No See

Yeah, I know. I've been lazy. It's the Christmas season (not holiday) and I'm just swamped at at work, and so on and so forth....

I've been baking and cooking a ton! Braised brussels sprouts, lemon-dijon chicken, sugar cookies, minestrone soup...

I did venture out to Sel Gris recently (in November) and am in the middle of a post about my experience.

After the new year, I'll finally have access at home and be able to load my photos and post more often. Don't forget about me!

Chesterfield and Thatch

This week I hit two places I'd never been before, Chesterfield over on Burnside, and Thatch on NE Broadway. My friend J and I met at Thatch at 4:00pm, and they didn't open till 5, so we headed over to Chesterfield. You might know Chesterfield by its big red paint job. It's in the same building as rocket - Chesterfield on the bottom floor, rocket on the fourth. Still haven't been to rocket but it doesn't sound like I'm missing much. Chesterfield is brightly decorated, with plastic stools. I didn't like them at all! Stupid stools.... Upstairs there's a round coke den table in black leather. It looks just like the ones at SubTerra, only not white. There's also a counter lining the loft ledge with more plastic stools, perfect for sipping solo, gazing down at the pretty young things below. Speaking of pretty young things, there were none in sight. In fact we were the only ones in the whole place when we walked in, and then a table of 3 showed up. The space is a lot smaller than I'd imagined, and I would not like to be there on a busy night. The best surprise was the bartender Russell. He's an old friend from my Red Star days back in 2000, and a terrific bartender. My friend had a perfectly balanced Pimm's Cup and I tried the Wendelini - peach bitters and prosecco with an lemon twist. J and I shared some curried mushrooms and a greek salad. Good portions for cheap. It was happy hour, too, so our drinks were $3 off. I will go back, soon, to see my friend Russell and try more drinks, like the Miss Sassy Rack or the Queen Bitch.

We had made a commitment to get into Thatch, so we headed back to my 'hood just after 5pm. It, too is smaller than it appears. Maybe 6 tables, and the bar. To enter, walk over the little wooden bridge spanning the "grotto". Some people find it annoying, but I love the tiki motif. It reminded me of being in Mexico. Sniff. There are tiki idol gods everywhere, and a thatched roof and a private table in it's own little hut. I can see heading there in the depths of February when ya just need a little cheering up and a mai tai is what the doctor ordered. J dared me to try a Donkey Punch, a drink so dangerous they are limited to two per customer. And the ingredients aren't listed, but the main one is Bacardi 151. And I drank two. I felt pretty good when I left. The food menu is pretty limited and there isn't much of a kitchen, so I don't know if I'd make it a food destination.

Chesterfield
1101 E. Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
503.236.6133
Open Daily 4pm - 2am

Thatch
2733 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
503.281.8454
Open daily 5pm-close

Helser's on Alberta

This past Thursday, we slept in. Like until noon. A slothly morning begets a late brunch. After debating where to go, bf and I hopped in the good ol' Hyundai and headed north to Alberta, vaguely thinking of Francis but not committed. Passing Tin Shed and Helser's, both looked busy so we continued on up to Francis. Parked the car, went inside and found...a zoo. I didn't know Thursday at 1:15pm was so popular for breakfast/lunch. Don't these people work? I don't like to wait, plus I never thought Francis was THAT good, so we drove back down to Helser's. Never been there anyway and wanted to try it. There was only a group of 2 in front of us, so we were seated within 5 minutes.

Right off, I liked the menu. Breakfast is served all day, a bonus for those who break their fast after noon, like me. It wasn't your standard bacon-and-eggs-and-benedicts menu. I wish I had one to post. Pancakes were on there, and maybe waffles, and a mushroom hash, bacon hash, a breakfast sandwich with crumpets, uh.......Oh wait, the menu is on their website. Clever. Ok, so no waffles. Potato pancakes, three hashes, steak and eggs, brioche french toast, scotch eggs, three different bennies, a Louisiana Hot Sausage Scramble wrap, the breakfast sandwich, a pear and Havarti pie, black bean chili scramble, and a dutch baby! Lots of things I might want to try for future visits. On the lunch front I spied a shrimp ravioli and a potato cake torta that looked interesting. Also, for the early birds, Helser's offers a $3.95 breakfast special from 7am-9am daily. Why can't there be a "late birds" special? I'm just sayin'.

Did I mention adult beverages for breakfast? Bf ordered a coffee nudge, and I was persuaded to get a hot buttered rum. We are lushes.

It was one of those times when I saw what I wanted right away, and only read the rest of the menu for kicks. Mushroom hash with criminis, scallions, garlic, Yukon Gold potato hash tossed with melted Havarti cheese. I added two poached eggs because, oddly, it was the only hash that did not come with eggs. And a side of hollandaise, just cause.




This was after I finished. It was huge! The mushrooms were more than plentiful, they were abundant. The scallions added a bright crunch to each bite; they didn't skimp on those either. Different from most hashes, the potatoes were sorta smashed and fried. I liked the soft texture. The cheese held everything together, although it didn't really need cheese. Next time I would sub the Havarti for chevre and add spinach. That would be perfection. I didn't really need the poached eggs, either, but it was good to have some protein.

Bf ordered the spinach, mushroom and tomato benedict. The eggs and veggies came atop a nice crumpet, but with very skimpy hollandaise. He was glad I had some to share. Speaking of, the hollandaise was heavy on the butter, but had no lemon taste at all. Not the best but at least it wasn't Knorr's. Bf liked the benedict, especially the crumpet. I "helped" him with some stray clumps of spinach. Very good. He commented that the tomatoes were especially good. Wonder where they get those this time of year?

At $28, it wasn't the cheapest breakfast, but it was really the drinks that did it. Otherwise it would have been under $20. A standout breakfast all around.

Helser's on Alberta
1538 NE Alberta St.
503-281-1477

Autentica

Having just returned from Mexico, I decided to hit Autentica's brunch on Sunday to see how it stacked up. I had read many great reports over at PortlandFood.org, so I had a couple things in my mind to try. First: shrimp in spicy broth. Well, not really what I expected. It was 4 big shrimp, butterflied, tail and shell-on with legs in a bowl of red broth that was surprisingly, not spicy at all and very fishy. One thing I have never mastered is peeling hot shrimp with utensils, so I made a mess of myself removing the shrimp to a napkin, peeling them and returning them to the hot broth. Besides not being spicy, the broth was one-dimensional. It was a little better after adding some red chili table salsa and lime, but I didn't finish it. The shrimp were cooked well and tasted good. Bf got the huevos rancheros that came with ham and black beans. Pretty yummy, though also very mild. The ranchera sauce was great and I ordered tortillas to help him scoop up the sauce. The ham was very thin and so-so, while the eggs were done right and the beans very flavorful and just salty enough. For apps, we had the shrimp and octopus ceviche and a chicken sope. The ceviche was was in a cold tomato broth and the seafood was tender and flavorful. The saltines on the side were good with it, tho I wish there were a few more. The sope was the clear winner. A small, thick tortilla-like base topped with shredded chicken, beans, cabbage, crema, avacado, onions, cilantro and maybe some other things I'm forgetting, piled on a plate. Each bite was the perfect bite. Next time I'm ordering a pile of these.

It was expensive. The 4 dishes above, plus 2 spanish coffees came to $48. (How did it compare to Mexico? Who knows, since I ate very little "authentic" food while I was there - our all-inclusive resort featured mostly buffet meals. I had a few carnitas tacos that rocked, and some good scrambled eggs with chorizo.)

Autentica
5507 NE 30th Ave

Portland, OR 97211

(503) 287-7555

into the sunset...

Tomorrow I am flying to Ixtapa, Mexico for a one week vacation. It's my birthday October 18th and I'm going with my family. Should be a fun trip! Here's some pictures I found online to help get the drool going..

Apple Pie

I made the first apple pie of the season last night. For the first time, I used Martha Stewart's pâte brisée recipe for the pie dough. I am now officially a big fan. It was easy to assemble in the food processor, rolled out beautifully, and the buttery flakiness can't be beat.

Martha's Pâte Brisée

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.


Tried-and-True Apple Pie

1 recipe Pâte Brisée

3 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Juice of one lemon
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out one disc pie dough to 2 inches larger than diameter of pie plate. Transfer dough to glass pie plate, pressing into corners. Trim dough to 1/2 inch past edge of pie plate.

Combine apples and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the apples and toss to coat evenly. At this point I like to let it sit for 5-10 minutes, so the sugar mixture and the apple juices form a caramel-like syrup in the bottom of the bowl. This is a good time to roll out the other pie crust.

Stir apples, then pour into the pastry-lined pie plate. This amount of apples should create a generous mounded pie. Scrape the bowl to get all the caramelly goodness into the pie. Dot with butter.

Lay the other crust over the top. There should be some overhang. If it's too long, trim it, but I usually just tuck it under the bottom crust lip and press to seal. At this point, you can flute the edge or use a fork to make a pretty design. I'm a fluter. (If you don't know how to flute, here's a video!)

Use a sharp knife to cut a couple of small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Some people like to brush the crust with milk or an egg wash and sprinkle some sugar on it. Me, I leave it plain.

Place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Cover crust edges with some foil or a pie ring to prevent burning or overbrowning. Now it's ready to go in the oven.

Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil or pie ring and bake for 20 minutes more. Pie is done when the crust is golden brown and the apples are soft (but not melted like applesauce!).

Let cool on a rack for an hour or so before cutting into it, if you can. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, or my favorite, freshly whipped cream.

The Country Cat Dinnerhouse

Hi everybody! Last Thursday I attended a dinner at the Country Cat with the Portland Food.org folks. I love getting together with these people. Finding this group of food-obsessed-even-for-foodies totally rocked my world, and now I have tons of willing dining partners whenever I need them. These people are like instant family, eating off my plate and offering bites of their own, dishing about new restaurants and favorite recipes. The family-oriented Country Cat was a hit with the group.

The owner/chef Adam Sappington dropped by to welcome us to the restaurant and sent out some starters for us to enjoy. The house made jerky was a spicy, sweet surprise, spicy wings crackled with flavor, and the heirloom tomatoes were fresh and summery drizzled with olive oil. After all those munchies, I decided to forgo a salad and just ordered the "Whole Hog" entree ($19). That featured a slab of pork belly, a brined pork chop and a nugget of deep fried head cheese atop a pool of grits. The head cheese was my favorite, although I admit I didn't know what I was eating. It tasted like liver or another organ or pate, all of which I really like. It was crispy and creamy and rich all at once. The grits were out of this world; I ate all of them first and took home a bit of pork belly and chop for bf. The chop was a little dry; I missed the little ring of fat that can juice it up a bit. I also prefer chops that are bone-in. Just a petty quibble, and it was quite enjoyable regardless. Someone ordered a plate of onion rings ($4) for the table and boy did I like those. Shoestring-skinny and piled on the plate, these were made for sharing. There's no way one or even two people could finish that plate.

Others tried the lamb ($22), beef roast, bacon-wrapped trout ($16), goat cheese and onion hand pie ($13), boneless fried chicken ($18) and duck leg ($18). The only bummers were the trout (needed salt) and the tarragon sauce on the fried chicken. The lamb got rave reviews, as did the whole hog for others that ordered it. I think we all appreciated the flawless service. My water glass was full the whole time and the servers were there when we needed them before we had to ask or look. Some have opined that the place is a little too upscale or expensive for the area, but I disagree. I lived 10 blocks from there last year and would have loved to have it as an option. It might not be what folks are used to as a "family restaurant" in the area, but the neighborhood can, I believe, support a quality eatery.

I had a great time overall and can't wait to return.

The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar
7937 SE Stark
Portland, OR 97215
503-408-1414

Open daily 5pm - close
Brunch Sat-Sun 9am-2pm

Nutshell

Who hasn't thought of a good title pun with Nutshell? Nutshell in a... , Nutty for Nutshell, Nutshell's Sweet Meat, Where's the Beef?, Nutshell Deshelled, etc, I could go on and on. It's a good name, not just for a vegan restaurant, but a Portland one, a Northwest one. Portland's more than a little nutty and the area is known for hazelnuts after all. More to the point, Nutshell fills a niche. A good vegan restaurant? There's Veganopolis, but I wouldn't call it good. Calendula was pretty well-liked, but they're out of business now. Tired of Old Wives' Tales and Kalga Kafe? Run, don't walk to Nutshell.

Of course, it's not all moonlight and roses. What would be the fun in that?

Spacious and slightly industrial, the place is personalized with giant renderings of the signature gorilla on one wall and some interesting art-on-vinyl kickin' it in the back along with an oversized, comfy couch. Booths line the wall opposite the very open and very small kitchen, and a good number of tables pile in front of the huge garage door opening (just above) to the street.

We picked a booth midway down with a good view of the action. Greetings from our red-haired server came quickly, with a request for drink orders. Bf and I both ordered Downtown Brown from Lost Coast Brewery. At that point we were waiting for our friend, so we sat back to explore the menu. This point was a little lost on our obviously new server (new to the food service biz, perhaps?) who came back multiple times to take our orders even though our friend had not arrived. (He was only about 8 minutes behind us.) The menu is broken into sections: Starters (2), Salads (5), Soup (2), Entrees (10), and Dessert (4). There's a list of Liasons (salad dressings) near the salad section and choices of vegetables and starches below the entrees. Many of the items are gluten-free or could easily be made gluten-free. There are no fake meats, tofu or soy anything. Hallelujah, praise Jesus! Also on the table was a slip of paper to tick off choices of bread, olive oils and salts. We picked an assortment of bread, along with a Spanish and a Chilean olive oil, a smoky volcanic salt, along with one I have no memory of, other than it was salty, which is good enough. The bread was good and I especially liked the rye. The olive oil pours were a little skimpy for $1. The smoky salt rocked - get it? Ha ha, Sean the Vegan would approve. (Chef Sean Coryell is a fan of lame puns.)

When it was time, we decided what to order. However, our server didn't tell us that the restaurant was out of many items. Six, to be exact. Both starters, the Vichyssoise, jamiacan barbeque, tandoor skewers, and the maple chocolate tart dessert. As we had been there for a good half hour, and she had been to our table like 10 times, it seems she would have mentioned that. Oops. So, it would have to be shots of creamy french lettuce & chervil soup, warm yukon gold potato pancakes, Nigerian akras, Bigfoot's raw living lasagna, and the imported spaghetti. Oh, and an order of 155-grain naan.

The soup shots came out quickly - cold, refreshing, and reminiscent of cucumber. It was what I would imagine a lettuce soup to taste, and it was delicious. I couldn't wait to try everything else.

Well, we chatted, saw some friends, talked, and waited...and waited....and waited. It says front and center on the menu "This is REAL slow food. So be patient, it might take a while." Or something like that, anyway. Boy, they weren't kidding. I was getting pissed when it was approaching 7:00 and we had been there for an hour and a half, had ordered an hour before, and still not even the naan had come out. I wasn't getting pissed; I was pissed. In fact I said to my friend and bf, "This is ridiculous, I'm never coming here again." Of course, then someone came and told us they were having problems with the tandoori oven, so sorry for the wait. They were very apologetic and sent over a special Bob Marley shot: Black Boss porter, sarsaparilla, brown sugar and peanut butter - a surprisingly yummy combination. But, only the naan is cooked in the tandoori oven, so wouldn't they send out the rest of our food and tell us the naan would come later, or maybe wouldn't be available at all? Seems like that would have been a more customer-oriented thing to do.

And then they had to make me eat my words. Never come back? Yeah, right, I want to return tomorrow, if not sooner! In one swoop, everything was laid in front of us. The naan, the bane of my visit, was spicy and grainy and dark - and delicious. I started with the potato pancakes ($11)in front of me. More like potato pillars than pancakes, each of the three supported kale and big, meaty mushrooms and there was caraway cream drizzled along the outside. Interesting flavor. The imported spaghetti ($12)was bathed in a generous porcini-cream sauce and sported fresh veggies and black & white truffle. I know it wasn't dairy cream, but there wasn't any difference in taste. The akras ($9) were chickpea fritters, quite tasty if a little heavy and filling. The lasagna ($12) was definitely the prizewinner. Stacks of heirloom tomatoes, pine nut ricotta, marinated mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes with a little salt, vinegar and olive oil. Served cold cause it's 'raw, living lasagna', meaning not cooked. Think of it like a hearty, stacked salad. Those of you readers who are counting might notice that we ordered 4 entrees for 3 people. Yes, yes we did. Take three bites, pass to the left. It worked out pretty well, except I might have snuck an extra bite or three of the lasagna.

After a while someone noticed a plate of one of the starters going to a table - Tunision brik, a phyllo-and-spinach dish that had been reported as "out". We checked, and it was available, so we ordered that, too. The menu described it as three-day spinach, which maybe accounted for the strong and slightly bitter spinach taste. It came as two big triangles, kinda like spanikopita with no cheese. The pastry's flaky butteriness perfectly offset the muscle of the spinach. Along side were two harissas of varying heat. Naturally, I liked the spicier one best.

Oh, yes, I have pictures. This is the best one, of the lasagna:

They're all really dark:

Akras

Imported Spaghetti with porcini cream and truffles.

Naan with olive oil. (So good I took the rest home. It was the only thing leftover!!)

Yeah, the pictures don't do it justice. Blame the cell phone camera, not the food.

We sampled two desserts as well. Pone ($6), a coconut-corn pudding with grilled pineapple, brown sugar sherbet and raisins, was very good if a little heavy, like a dessert oatmeal. Definitely need to share. The Argentine empanada was the favorite, a flaky, crispy crust filled with banana, coconut and quince, piping hot with a tangy lime sorbet.

Verdict: Service issues need to be addressed, but the creative, flavor-filled cuisine saves the day.

Nutshell
3808 N. Williams
503-292-2627

Open for lunch and dinner.

Riley is Found!

He was stuck in the house across the street. He's hungry, but fine. Thanks for the (imagined) support.

Coming soon, a visit to Nutshell.

Help! Riley is missing!

This is not Riley, but a picture of an almost identical cat. I last saw him Wednesday, Sept. 12th. He is a neutered male, 4 years old, with a short, chocolate/cream colored coat and bright blue eyes. I'm posting flyers and talking to the neighbors. I posted a "lost cat" notice on the Dove Lewis site and the Multnomah County Animal Services site. He's never been gone from home before; he is very attached to me and our other cat Bella. Please wish me luck and I'll keep you posted.

Genie's Cafe

Woke up this morning with no water at our house, just air coming through the pipes. Turns out the people next door were having sewer work done, and they broke the water main. Good going, guys. I used this as an excuse to go out to breakfast. Milo's City Cafe is our usual haunt, but we were in the mood for something new. I tried Genie's a few months ago alone when my girlfriend stood me up. That time I went for the scrambled eggs with black truffle, potatoes, toast and a side of hollandaise. The eggs were blah, the truffle not very fragrant nor the flavor I expected, but I really liked the hollandaise.

This visit was more successful.

Bf and I ordered the same thing: a special of the day wild chanterelle mushroom frittata with bacon, spinach and topped with feta for $10.25. And of course a side of hollandaise. The frittata was very good, baked gently with lots o' mushrooms. The bacon was good and meaty, the feta plentiful. I did add just a touch of salt and a few shakes of Cholula. About 8 pieces of breakfast potatoes were artfully arranged around the frittata, giving it the appearance of a sunburst. I actually don't much like their potatoes. They are ones I wouldn't eat without something to dip them into, like ketchup or hollandaise. The hollandaise wasn't as good as last time. It had a flour-y mouthfeel to it that I didn't like and couldn't figure out where it came from. Maybe they switched to a mix? It was lemony enough, though, and I ate it all, so that tells you a lot about me. Genie's is good enough; I will return to try the benedicts and biscuits & gravy.

The coffee is Stumptown and sufficiently strong.

Genie's Cafe
1101 SE Division
Portland, OR 97202
503-445-9777
Open 8-3. Coffee shop opens at 7. Long lines on the weekends for breakfast.

Hamachi and Scallops at Ten 01

Just a couple photos of my solo dinner last night at Ten 01's bar.

First, Sashimi of Hamachi:



Hamachi with green apple-celeriac vinaigrette. There's also some kind of tasty oil coating the fish. Soooo buttery is all I can say.

Next: Scallops





The scallops were slated to come with smoked salmon risotto, trambancino squash and whole-grain mustard aioli, but I was in the mood to change it up, so I ordered it with the quail set-up. Those are cranberry beans with melted cherry tomatoes and pieces of smoked ham hock. I was in *hog* heaven!

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

10 medium-sized tomatoes
3 red peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large or 2 smaller sweet onions, like Walla Walla, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
tablespoon dried basil
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups vegetable stock
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 2 lemons
salt
pepper
1-2 cups heavy cream
avacado, diced (optional)

Turn the broiler on high. Stem the tomatoes and cut in half. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. It might take 2 batches to do all the tomatoes; it did pour moi. Broil carefully, till the tomato skins have black charred blisters and look pretty wrinkly, 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and slip the skins off the tomatoes with tongs or your fingers (be careful, they're hot!). Place the tomatoes in a non-reactive bowl. Repeat as necessary.

Cut the tops off the red peppers. Or do as I do: using thumbs, press the stem inward till it breaks from the flesh, then remove it. Cut the peppers in half the long way, removing the seeds and white membranes. Place cut side down on the baking sheet, and repeat broiling process. The skins are a little harder to remove than the tomatoes. Enlist the help of a knife if necessary. Cut the peppers into strips, then add to the bowl of tomatoes.

In a large, non-reactive stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, then add basil and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking until onions are just about translucent, about 5 or so more minutes.

Add tomatoes, peppers and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.

Puree soup in batches in a blender. When working with hot liquids, never fill the blender more than 1/3 full. Some recipes now strain the soup, but not me.

Return the blended soup to the pot. Add orange and lemon juice. Taste. Salt and pepper it, and taste again. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Add as much cream as you are comfortable with, then bring the soup up to a gentle simmer again. You might want to taste it again and add more salt.

Serve in a shallow bowl with diced avacado mounded in the center. This soup would go well with a green salad, or even a toasted cheese sandwich.

Le Hana

The first restaurant just opened in the South Waterfront district. Le Hana is an interesting mix of Japanese and French cuisine. I was leery till I checked out the menu and found it's mostly a Japanese focus where you can also order a Kobe tenderloin, a Strawberry Mountain ribeye, sake diver scallops, and pan seared Copper River salmon. The menu has a lot of sections:

Appetizer
Salads
Soups
Seafood Entrees
Meat Entrees
Vegetable Entrees
Fusion Sashimi
Assorted Sashimi
Nigiri Sushi
Nigiri Sushi Combination
Hand Maki
Regular Rolls
Specialty Rolls
Baked Rolls
Meat Lover's Rolls

Bf and I ordered a lot. Miso (didn't order, it just came), tempura shrimp, the small assorted sashimi platter, hamachi sushi combo, Iro Iro Maguro roll, and the Scent of Shiso roll.

The miso and tempura were good, on par with most sushi places in town. Assorted sashimi came with 2 pieces each of hamachi, salmon, albacore, escolar, octopus, maguro, shrimp and snapper. Salmon and hamachi are my favorite, they were both buttery and smooth. The fish was cut a little thicker than I'm used to, but I viewed it as a plus. High quality, though I've never been to Murata or Hiroshi, so I can't say how it matches up. I really loved the pure-white escolar, although recent health warnings gave me pause.

The hamachi sushi combo was supposed to include 8 pieces hamachi roll, 2 pieces of hamachi nigiri and 3 pieces of chef's choice nigiri. What we got was 8 pieces spicy salmon roll, and 6 pieces of assorted nigiri, luckily most of it tuna. I was not at all upset, as the spicy salmon roll was outstanding. The spicy sauce gently coated the delicate salmon pieces without overwhelming the mild fish.

The Iro Iro Maguro roll consisted of blue fin tuna, avacado inside, lightly seared toro outside with a lime caper sauce and tobiko on top. Loved this and would order it again in a heartbeat, despite the $18 price tag.

The Scent of Shiso roll was just as good. Salmon, avacado and dungeness crab with shiso and halibut on top. Shiso is an herb leaf that reminded me of mint or cilantro with lemon notes as well. It added a little fresh crunch and burst of brightness to every bite.

The interior has booths along two walls, a sushi bar and a regular bar. Big, round, creamy-colored lanterns hung above the entry beckon from blocks away. Red lamps hover over each booth at varying heights. Watch out for those booths; they are definitely built for little people.

Le Hana
3500 SW River Parkway
Portland, OR 97239
503-467-7501

Heirloom Tomato and Bread Salad

I really was inspired by Molly at Orangette on this one. She mentioned, in passing, in one of her old, old posts (I'm going through the archives) from 2005, about a great summer pastime, eating tomato and bread salad. I have heard of such a thing, but never thought much about it. Shame, shame on me. It's so easy and delicious. Just do this:

cube some good bread (can be day-old or not)
toss bread in a bowl with olive oil and some halved garlic cloves
toast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes on a sheet pan
dice heirloom tomatoes in large chunks and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic
mix croutons with tomatoes and season with salt & pepper
add some cheese (fresh mozz, shaved parm, whatever) and basil
*edited to add: let sit for 5 minutes
eat (Orangette says to eat aggressively)

If I knew how to get my pictures from my camera onto my computer, I would add a picture here.

Le Pigeon again..

Finally took bf to Le Pigeon last night. We showed up at 6:45pm and were told there was a short wait. No problem, we'll leave our cell number and head over to Doug Fir. Oops, before we could order a drink at Doug Fir, Le Pigeon called back! That was fast. So this was my first time sitting at the bar. This is the way to go, folks. Talk about an open kitchen; at this bar, you're right on top of them. We ordered:

• Beets, cucumbers, lemon creme fraiche
• Foie terrine, brioche, truffled apricots
• Beef Cheek Bourguignon
• Flat Iron, tomato, leek, anchovy

I like how simple the menu is. It doesn't mess around with wordy descriptions. Of course, you have to ask how the pork is prepared, but that doesn't bother me.

Beet salad rocked, but I can't think of a better combination than beets, cucumbers and lemon creme fraiche. I hogged this to myself. The foie terrine was interesting. I'm not to sure about foie yet - it's the texture. Anyway, it came as a big slice layered with fat with a spoonful of truffle apricot jam on the side, and a plate of brioche. Bf ate almost all of this. It was really rich, with a hard butter texture, and I liked it with the brioche. I actually would prefer a crostini with it, something crunchy.

The beef cheeks were served with a couple slices of potato, a bunch of carrots, and some onions or fennel. It all blended so it was hard to tell. The cheeks are huge, though, and with your fork you can pull off a bite of thready, juicy, beefy goodness, spear a carrot and a bite of potato, swirl it around in the burgundy reduction and try to make it to your mouth before it drips on your new blouse. Ahh, bliss. Bf's flat iron came a very red medium-rare (all the better) sliced and stacked on a pile of sliced tomatoes, leeks and anchovy. It was very good, but I liked mine better.

That we were going to order the apricot-bacon cornbread with maple ice cream was a given. It was the whole reason I brought bf there! It was just as good as last time. I am quite enthralled with the flavor of the maple ice cream. Maybe next summer I will buy an ice cream maker.

Our dinner, including one beer and one glass of pinot noir, came to $87, and I took home more than half of my beef cheeks. Also, the cook burnt our cornbread and had to remake it, unbeknowst to us, so they comped it! Totally unnecessary, but a nice gesture.

We look forward to visiting Le Pigeon often. The menu changes all the time, and you are guaranteed to find something that you've never had (pigeon cherry tart, anyone?), or something put together in a way you never would have done.