If you have been following the evolution of America’s food scene over the past few decades, you probably know of Alice Waters. Her iconic restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, has been steadfast at the forefront of trends like eating local, eating seasonal and slow food, just to name a few. It’s hard to believe that 2021 is the 50th anniversary of Chez Panisse. Noting the anniversary, she was interviewed in the NY Times a […]
During late winter and early spring, I have been featuring new and unfamiliar (to me) varieties of beans. Like those folks in central Italy, (the Tuscans are somewhat disparagingly called “bean eaters”), I love beans. One of my most fond childhood memories is of an immense pile of freshly picked shell beans on the kitchen table and helping my grandma Duncan prepare them for dinner. Beans are a Superfood, high in protein, fiber and vitamins. […]
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 24 young garlic plants, white part only, halved lengthwise (about 8 ounces worth) 3/4 cup water 1 1/2 pounds (22 ounces) small red potatoes, peeled and quartered 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) chicken or vegetable broth 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar, to taste ground pepper to taste thinly sliced garlic scapes, olive oil, and watercress, for garnish (optional) Directions: […]
Green garlic results when the garlic plant is pulled from the ground before bulbs form and when it resembles a leek. To me, green garlic is the first reliable harbinger of Spring. It used to be asparagus but now asparagus is readily available year round, rhubarb is a bit more reliable but has largely suffered the same fate. My dad used to make green garlic soup from our garden as a springtime tonic for all […]
I have to admit that growing up on the foggy, cool Canadian border in Washington State has left me with feelings of inadequacy when it comes to selecting the perfect watermelon. Now that it’s summertime, I find myself looking at the bins full of big green melons at Trader Joes knowing that it likely contains at least one is extra sweet and juicy. The problem, of course, is finding that one. Luckily David Leite has […]
The Lava Road Gang of Three is made up of the three shop owners on Lava road. Amber Kerbow, owner of Village Interiors, Ivy Schnepp, owner of Sage Clean Beauty Boutique and myself, of course. Here is a brief introduction to each of these shop. Village Interiors: “The Bend Home Furnishing showroom is filled with an ever-changing selection of home furnishings, artwork, throws and treasures for your home or office.” Sage Clean Beauty Boutique: “offers […]
T his was not an easy decision. I grew up in a fishing family and, even now, nieces and nephews still make yearly migration to Alaska to spend the summer on fishing boats. I’ve seen the bumper stickers declaring that “friends don’t let friends eat farmed salmon.” So I told myself that if I was going to serve farmed salmon at my restaurant, it would be only when the wild product was not available and it […]
Since it is October and we are cooking my German Menu this month, I was looking for a new dessert. I have loved baked apples since I was a kid growing up on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. (We had an apple orchard just beyond the lawn.) I was perusing Mimi Sheraton’s “The German Cookbook” (first published in 1965) and came across a recipe for “Überbackene Marzipanäpfel” – which translates roughly to “Baked Marzipan Apples.”
Last night at Bend’s Tin Pan Theater, I saw the film City of Gold. Jonathan Gold made his reputation at as the food critic for the LA Weekly, Gourmet Magazine and then at the Los Angeles Times. In 2007, he became the first food writer to win the Pulitzer Prize. I’ve been following him for quite a while as I find his writing to be almost painfully beautiful at times. Go catch this film if […]