Portland: Pratically Perfect in Every Way.

Two weekends ago, I took a jet plane to Portland - met my mom there for a glorious and jam packed weekend and the main purpose was to attend the 2010 Zine Symposium. Portland is a hub of zinesters and aficionados when it comes to all things, zines, do-it-yourself publications and independent publishing. For more info on what a zine is, click here and for a mini tutorial, click here.

Mom and I had a grand plan from the time she picked me up at PDX until she dropped me off Sunday night. The first plan of attack was heading to Powell's Bookstore, downtown Portland. Powell's is a book lover's paradise, it covers several blocks of downtown Portland and there are color-coded rooms where various sections live. Of course, I was hunkered down in the cooking section, which was so well-stocked, it blew my mind.

My friends, Pete and Sarah, Portland ex pats (only for a temporary time though, they will return one day), recommended several restaurants, including The Farm Cafe where we dined Friday night. Farm Cafe is quaint home converted into a charming, cozy restaurant. Local, sustainable and carefully selected ingredients are worshipped and adored at this highly praised restaurant. It continues to win the hearts of locals and boasts a number of accolades. Mom had the pleasure of dining here last summer with some gal pals (thanks again to Pete and Sarah for the suggestion) and she ordered the pan crusted tofu with caramelized onions, mushrooms and mashed potatoes. As if that isn't enough to make your tummy happy, it's all surrounded by a sweet marsala sauce. We also shared an appetizer of halibut fish cakes that were served with a sundried tomato aioli. We could've eaten these alone for dinner and I would've been satisfied. I was torn between several dishes on the menu, but the call of goat cheese ravioli was too overwhelming to pass up, so I succumbed like an alcoholic. Mom and I shared the blueberry and peach cobbler for dessert, and left the Farm Cafe in quite a deliriously happy state.

Saturday marked the beginning of the Zine Symposium which was located at Portland State University (also located downtown) and lucky for us, the gym was a hop skip and a jump from the Saturday Farmer's Market which is held at the university every Saturday. Your eyes would pop out of your head at all the farmers and various of foodie vendors. Hypothetically, one could do all of their grocery shopping here at the market - flowers, cheese, bread, oils, jams, pickles, veggies, fruit, seafood, poultry...the list goes on and on. In addition, there are some amazing breakfast/lunch options while buying some groceries at the market. I had a homemade artichoke heart and cotija stuffed tamale and my mom had a savory french crepe stuffed with cheese and grilled veggies. When visiting another city, I always try to stroll through their local farmer's market, if they have one, it says so much about the city and gives me an excuse to take tons of great photos!

The Laughing Planet Cafe is a eclectic cafe that serves healthy quesadillas, burritos, tacos, bowls, salads...in other words, the works! Funky and electrically painted and decorated, this cafe automatically puts you in a good mood with their friendly staff and rockin 70s tunes. I had a yummy chicken burrito filled to the max with grilled veggies and my mom ordered a quesadilla stuffed with tons of veggies too. The trio of salsas each brought a unique aspect to each bite and neither of us felt "guilty" about eating our meals. We even sat outside on a picnic bench and enjoyed the cool weather as we dined and caught up on life and all we experienced at the first day of the Zine Symposium.

No trip to Portland would be complete without a pit stop at two of Portland's most famous places - Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Voodoo Doughnuts. Stumptown to Portland is what Intelligentsia and LA Mill is to Los Angeles, a coffee connoisseur's haven. Urban hipsters unite for good coffee, mellow vibes and hanging out at Stumptown, and of course a cup of java that will blow your mind. Now Voodoo Doughnuts is a very special place too, open 24 hours, this sugar fix joint thrives on its delicious donuts but also on its quirky menu, including donuts topped with your favorite childhood cereal and "adult themed" donuts for your wedding or bachelor parties (I kid you not). Voodoo has been featured on Man vs. Food and several other foodie t.v. programs. No wonder we waited 30 minutes for a donut, but the wait was absolutely worth it!

There were so many other wonderful memories, my mom and I shared while in Portland, this city is a very special place on so many levels and I can see why people choose it as a home base. It's beautiful with trees, trees and more trees, the river is close. Portland is a hub of culture, creativity and diversity. Magical place, it really is and I can't wait to go back someday.

Summer Fruit Reigns Supreme!

Several years ago, I hosted a Christmas dinner party for a group of 20 people. One of my dear gal pals has pestered me several times since I've been back in LA regarding one of the desserts I made that night. I've been scratching my head over this one for months, only remembering that it was a fruit crisp and that raspberries were part of the delectable equation.

Call it a sign of age, but about a month ago I was flipping through one of Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa" cookbooks and came across a peach and raspberry crisp recipe. Immediately, I remembered, that this was it, the one my gal pal was referring to - the great dessert mystery had been solved. Without a moment of hesitation, I texted my gal pal and told I thought I had solved the great mystery and offered to make it for you her birthday (which falls on the 4th of July).

This fruit crisp stars the ever-so-loved summer berries, raspberries and summer's favorite stone fruit, peaches. What's great about this recipe is that you can easily substitute the fruit depending on personal preference as well as "what's in season". Given the fact that the farmer's markets are overflowing with berries, I decided to add a pint of blueberries to the mix. The chewy, crispy topping is made of oatmeal, flour, sugar, butter, and cinnamon (I also took some liberties and added some cloves and nutmeg). The birthday girl was definitely pleased and so was everyone else. For once, there were leftovers and I have to say, this crisp gets better with age.

Conquering Kale.

On Friday evening after work I picked up my latest CSA share at Silverlake Farms. This week the share included fresh chamomile, celery, red romaine, arugula, kohlrabi, turnips, beets, russian kale, swiss chard, radishes, garlic and some fruit, oranges, tangerines and loquats. I've never had a loquat before and they were super delicious. Best compared to a cross between an asian pear and an apricot, this sweet stone fruit makes delectable jam (or so I'm told) and I think they would be a beautiful addition to any salad with walnuts and crumbled gorgonzola.

So this morning I decided to face one contender in the ring. For quite a while now, I've heard about the extreme benefits of kale and most importantly how many people enjoy the dark, leafy green. My only experience cooking with kale (it was curly kale) didn't turn out so well and I hate to admit it, but I consciously put that green out of my mind.

With a bunch of red russian kale in my CSA share this week, I decided to do a lil' homework and take on this lean mean green! Upon reading through several recipes for kale, I nailed down the key factor as to why my first kale experience didn't turn out as I had hoped - I didn't cook it long enough. Having thumbed through many magazines and books, I opted to turn 1/2 of my kale into a hearty and healthy breakfast. I sauteed some onion in olive oil and added some minced fresh garlic (from my CSA share). Then I added the chopped kale and about 1/2 c. of chicken stock (you could just use water, but I wanted to add as much flavor as possible). I wilted the kale in the poaching liquid until it almost evaporated for about 5-10 minutes, then I added another 1/2 c. of chicken stock. Repeat instructions above and voila - vibrant, sweet and tender kale. While the kale was wilting away in its happy juice, I fried an egg and made a piece of toast. Piled that egg on top of my kale and began my day with super duper Punky GREEN power! No longer afraid of this green, I am excited to see what else I can do with the rest of my stash.

Mango Mama.

Last night my dad and I went grocery shopping at two of my favorite grocery stores- Whole Foods and Trader Joes (Sorry Ft. Wayners, neither exist in your area,closest is Indy). We bought some delicious albacore and planned on grilling it, along with some veggies (yellow squash pictured above). I've always loved grilled fish with mango salsa, but had never made my own, so I decided to top off the grilled albacore with it! Off to Vallarta I went, this afternoon, and picked up some cheap and delicious produce to toss into this heavenly concotion. So what's inmy mango salsa,you ask? One mango, about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno, half of a red onion, 1 small diced avocado, juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste. The salsa was so refreshing and it featured all of the qualities with respect to flavor. The sweet succulence of the mango, the heat of the jalapeno, the freshness of cilantro, tang from the lime and buttery and creaminess from the avocado. A delicious and healthy way to top off a piece of grilled meat. Try it sometime, you will thank me. I swear.

PS - Must give props to my dad who grilled the fish,he marinated it in a little soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil! He's the grilling master!