10 Aug 2012
by scolgin
in Observations, On the Road
Tags: barbecue, blackberries, Ethiopian food, Food carts, Northwest, Oregon, Portland, Washington
It might be difficult for Northwesterners to believe that I once planted — intentionally! — a blackberry bush. It was small and anemic and cost $6. I found it a nice spot on the side of the chicken coop, dug a hole, settled it in, watered it lovingly… and forgot about it. A few months later I remembered and went to check on it, and all that was left was a little brittle stick.
Blackberries and cream for breakfast
I’m not sure why blackberries don’t do so well in Southern California. I suspect it has to do with the inherent dryness and lack of rainfall. They grow prolifically in Northern California. But in the Northwest, they are practically a plague. Indeed, I recall coming to my wife’s sister’s property more than a decade ago, before we were married, and nearly the entire four acres was one massive blackberry bramble. Delicious and romantic to the dusty Southern Californian, but a significant complication to the prospective home builder.
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07 Aug 2012
by scolgin
in Markets & Stores, On the Road
Tags: Columbia Gorge, Full Sail Ale, Joel Gott, Lake Oswego, morels, New Seasons, Oregon, Portland, Salt & Straw, Zupan's
I enjoy blogging from places other than home. Not merely getting ideas while I’m traveling, but actually writing while I’m there, letting place influence my musings much the way terroir does a grape.
Bounty of the Northwest — French-style farm butter, heritage pig bacon, Sunset Bay cheese, hazelnuts, local charcuterie, fava beans, tomahawk ribeye and wild mushrooms
My blog buddy, Rachel, has a lovely blog about her experiment to eat only food grown or sourced near to her home in Delaware. An admirable pursuit, and one I enjoy reading about and make some effort to emulate at home. It’s much easier, however, when I am traveling, particularly if I have access to a kitchen. More
26 Jun 2012
by scolgin
in Observations, On the Road
Tags: carpaccio, Doves Today, food, Italy, lobster, risotto, sardines, scampi, Venetian cooking, Venice
People may complain that it stinks, others that it is sinking, and still more that it is too expensive. Those who are there in the winter lament the floods that render every street and alleyway a canal. But nothing anyone will ever say can sour my love for the most romantic city of them all — Venice.
Your host on Piazza San Marco with Venetian carnival mask, a foggy morning in March, circa 199?
So it was with some degree of green that I accepted the news that our neighbors and friends, Chris and Glennis, had rented an apartment in Venice this summer. Chris added insult to injury by sending me the website for the place they were staying, complete with perfectly framed view onto the Grand Canal. In response, I did what any affronted friend would — I invited them over for a “bon voyage” Venetian dinner. More
13 Apr 2012
by scolgin
in On the Road, Recipes, Starlets, Yoga Students & Quinoa (stories)
Tags: asparagus, dining, fois gras, food, Malibu, pork belly, ravioli, recipes, Steve McQueen
Fois gras ravioli with pickled fennel, shimeji mushrooms and marscapone cheese — at Chez McQueen
* * *
Here’s the way I like to imagine it:
McQueen is out on the deck drinking his whisky, his khakis rolled up and his feet on the railing, watching the sea crash on the rocks just below. He’s surprised to find a stranger at his stove cooking, but only shrugs. After a bit he comes in to freshen his drink, and asks me what the hell I’m doing in his kitchen. More
17 Jan 2012
by scolgin
in Eating Out, Observations, On the Road
Tags: Camping, Cholada, Duke's, Joshua Tree, Leo Carillo, Malibu, Reel Inn, saltimbocca, Topanga
Willa breakfasting at the camp site
The other night I went camping.
My son belongs to a Cub Scouts troop who go camping with alarming regularity. I try to be a good scouting father, and make a few of the trips a year. Even though camping is not really in my DNA. I’m more of a hotel/resort guy. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of gear you need to bring, the logistics of set up and break down. I’m not crazy about dirt and dust, and I like warm showers and soft beds. More
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