Impressed

I am impressed by the bloggers that seem to post pictures and write great posts in what appears to be no time.  I on the other hand must think over think it.  So in an attempt to just throw it out there.............

This week we are having some friends over for dinner.  I love to cook and I can be a bit over the top.  But it is a great opportuity to create.  Now you know I do not eat meat-but I do cook with it and usually the Food Channel provides the inspiration. Last night's episode of Triple D http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives had a great flank steak recipe that may be the winner.  Update to follow. 

Today's fare...some uninspired leftovers for lunch.  Salmon I am sure.

Dinner-only time will tell.

Tonight I learn to add pictures.  

Monday Morning

Food glorious food.  After a little yoga and meditation, a coffee and muffin are calling.  Blueberry or banana?

Places to try this week....57 degrees, back to Cask Room and some yummy breakfast place.  I need to eat up all the tofu and continue to work through the freezer.

I hope a trip to the farmers market-any farmers market- is in the cards.

A Groupon successful purchase--The Cask Room

Picture this...neighborhood wine bar, comfy leather couches, wine barrel walls and candelight.  Wine by the half glass, glass and bottle.  Yummy wine bar food like panni, cheese plates and salads.  And to finish it off a magnificent mexican chocolate fondue.  The staff was the perfect blend of service and personality without being over solicitous.  Only one downfall-its not in my neighborhood.

A great Groupon choice.

Muffins-Muffins-Muffins

I am sure you had an exciting day-maybe you went to Rome or New York City.  Or maybe you tried gyrating your hips at pole dancing.  Well I made muffins.  Whole wheat banana and light and fluffy banana, and blueberry.

Why? I needed something yummy for breakfast.  When I cook I like to go big.  So I challenged myself to create from the ingredients in the cupboard.  Now I can't lie-I had to visit next door for some sour cream-but everything else was on hand.

Awww the smell of fresh baked goodness-the joy of coffee and a muffin still warm from the oven.

Really I have been eating.......

You would think I haven't been eating.  Really we all know I have.  Just not very inspired meals.  Summer is usually my tme for outdoor eating with family and friends.  Well the good news is that there is 9 weks left of summer-still time to have some fabulous meals.

So......where should we go?

Coffee and a passport

I love going to the Post Office. There is a certain level of inapptitude that inspires me to fix the process. I formulate the process in my head and wonder really???

Home again

I love to cook.  You know....try a new recipe or attempt to copy a dish.  But after Portland I am not inspired.  Oscar night I made vegi chili and corn bread.  It was super good if I do say so myself.

But now I just want to eat up everything in the refrigerator so I can clean it.  Honestly it is disgusting.  Bottles of salad dressing and condiments that we will never use-dumb.  Rings on the glass shelves and goop stuck in the crisper.

I will cook again when it is clean. 

Just like Moms

Breakfast at Mothers. Just like moms if mom had 100 people over for breakfast. Chandeliers from the ceiling and large picture windows letting in the amazing sun. French Press coffee, pecan bun and fruit. A miga and bacon for Robert. Super good.

Nice walk around Portland Saturday Market. Earrings, singing bowl and a tattoo are our purchases. Quick walk thru Pioneer square mall-then final shot of drinking chocolate
and quick ride on the Max to the airport.

Art-Carts-Film-Views and Ghosts

Friday in Portland starts slow.  A great breakfast in the hotel.  Giant capers, red onion and salmon hash with a poached egg. Delightful. Next the Portland Art Museum. Turns out to be about 2 blocks from the hotel.  A nice collection of Art.  The current exhibit-Disturbia-is not terribly thought provoking.
The Water Lilies are fabulous as always.

Carts-carts-carts-so many to choose from.  Robert decides on a nothing special chicken teriyaki-me the best cup of coffee ever from Spella Caffe. Nap time.

We meet an old friend, Melanie, for happy hour/dinner at Portland City Grill. Crowded-even at 4:30-but the views are amazing and after perching on a couch for a short time we get a table by the window.  I was told the food was so-so but there is an extensive list of appetizers and they are great.

Bizare Portland walking tour is a comical "ghost" tour.   This is the job for all the frustrated drama dropouts and wanna be comedians.  Not what we expected but it fit in with the quirkiness of Portland and part of the tour was riding the Max-light rail- across the river.

Pizza and Peligrino at Old Town Pizza.  Smelled amazing and they sell by the slice after 9pm. Thick crust-so i skipped it but Mel and Robert said it was good. 

Salted carmels and more Peligrino before bed.  A good day.

Ten 01

Ten-01 is rated as one of the best in Portland and I agree.  Good walkable location at 10th and Couch. The bar is designed to be a social place where the patrons sit on either side of the bar.  It's not to noisy-so a conversation can be had.  Now food-

The expeditor brings amuse bouche of sturegeon-fun start. Appetizers it is smoked salmon for me and a braised roman salad for Robert.  The salmon is the perfect smokiness. A glass of Malbec compliments this salmon perfectly. Who cares about the salad-its good but the salmon is perfect.  Entrees are Lamb shank for Robert and  Sturgeon for me.  Now I don't really know if I have ever had Sturgeon.  It turns out to be a sturdy piece of fish that is cut in medalions and sits atop some perfectly cooked yellow beets and leaks.

The lamb shank is a huge piece of meat that falls right off the bone.  It is served with a perfect accompiament of beans-I know this sounds weird but it is just right.

Dessert.  Carmel and Chocolate Bombe with blood orange ice cream.  You get a knife, fork and spoon for this one and are told to just break it open and go for it.  Chocolate and orange-yummo.  And.....a cheese plate with a glass of Vin Santo.  The pecorino was disapointing but the Bermuda Triangle was perfect.  Then when they bring your check a surprise-salted carmels. OMG

Not dissapointed, we walk back to our room and fall into a food coma.  

a day of food

Yesterday started with an amazing breakfast at The Original.A "dinerette"-not really-very 50's-but not poodle skirts-more mid century modern. Creme Brulee French toast with 3 syrups-my favorite-butter, honey and cinnamon. Thick warm and a perfect compliment to the brioche style french toast.

Then Powells-walk the Pearl-then Voodoo donuts-Captain Crunch covered glazed-no description necessary-yum. Food carts-yum again. Long winters nap and then dinner at Ten 01.An amazing dinner that deserves its own post with pictures.

Great Food Day

So full I can't blog!

Day one-Portland

Arrived The Heathman Hotel-Portland. Great downtown location. Nice room with a sitting area and a king sized bed. The hotel has a mattress menu-tonight will tell if I made a good choice.


Dinner. Hungry, hungry, hungry. Where to go? The winner is Ristorante Roma . Think Italy. Family run-small boy making the rounds of all the tables until mom is ready to go home for the night. Antipasti-Insalata Spinacci-wonderful baby spinach with olive oil and balsalmic dressing, gorgonzola, shaved parmesan, and olives. Robert has the Grilled Vegetable antipasti-not what I expected-vegetables grilled to perfection with the perfect compliment of olive oil. The pasta courses are many and we choose the Fetucini de' Funghi and the Fetucini de'Fruiti del mare. Of course the pasta is cooked perfectly with just the right compliment of sauce. The mussels in the Del Mare are perfectly done and fall out of the shell. Our waiter-Walter-is friendly with out being overly solicitous he even suggests an Italian restaurant for us to try when we return home. Dinner is complete when Walter brings two glasses of Prosecco to finish the meal.

Walking back to our hotel we talk about "drinking chocolate." The hotel lobby houses Cacao a chocolate house that specializes in drinking chocolate. I choose the spiced chocolate shot and Robert chooses the dark. At $2 this is the bargin of the day. A perfect end to a perfect meal.

snow-snow-snow

Wow!A magical snowy morning. Waking up to a foot of snow on the ground and the pines heavy with snow. Then...the smell of coffee. Hot, dark, rich and waiting. Breakfast is french toast smothered in butter and syrup. Yum, Yum, Yum.

A quick breath of fresh air in Klammath Falls. All the Californians stepping off to get a dusting on their coats.

Train Travel 10-Food on Train 5

Imagine this.. a time of unhurried travel where white tablecloths, crystal glasses and china plates are the norm. An attendant is there to meet your every need while the rail car gently rocks back and forth, lulling you to sleep.

Ahhhh train travel my new friend. The day starts early with only a cup of coffee for sustanance. A layover at Union Station brings a pleasant surprise of a bagel egg sandwich. The egg cooked perfectly and the bagel, toasted and chewy perfection. A split of Champagne awaits me in the sleeper.

Lunch and dinner are in the dining and parlor car. The food is fair the company excellent. Bill and Marley are seasoned train travelers and are living a charmed life,having just spent a month in Mexico. Sally, a biodynamic farmer, is on a 6 week quest to figure out her life.

The days culinary highlight is wine and cheese tasting in the parlor car. Four regional wines paired with four cheeses. The Estancia Pinot Noir and Rogue River Blue Cheese are the winners with a close second going to the amazing coastline views and view of four magnificent rainbows.

Training in Portland

I eat everywhere. I love food and wine and promise my family that one day I will write about my food and wine adventures. Well here goes....

Tomorrow Robert and I leave on the train to Portland at 6am. Why Portland? Well strangly the city is on my "places I want to go list." Powells City of Books, Portland Museum of Art, Food Carts, Wineries, night time ghost walks and free public transportation. Oh and food glorious food.