Monday Nov 28 - What's Pho Breakfast?
My first day back in Portland (and don't worry, faithful readers, I will post Thanksgiving trip meals soon...). My flight was horribly delayed, resulting in a 3 hr late arrival at the unsavory time of 1:30 AM. SF was SUPER nice, met me at the airport, and gave me a ride home.
Later that same morning (10-ish), while SF's car is being serviced, we walk across the street to Pho Oregon and indulge in some tasty Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Late breakfast, early lunch, somewhere in between? She gets the regular size, and since I haven't eaten in around 24 hrs due to traveling, I get the large. The large ends up being too much. Noodles, beef, tasty broth, lime, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and wild cilantro. YUM!
BTW - A nice review of Pho Oregon at extramsg. "Their pho ($5.50 small, $6.00 large) is arguably the best in the city -- fragrant and well-balanced, rich without being overly greasy, fresh herbs and tender meat." Link to
http://www.extramsg.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=117
Wednesday Nov 23 - Last office lunch before Thanksgiving
First of all, here is a hangman clue for you. See if you can solve it while reading this post. The answer will be provided at the end. This is the exact moment that Slim E. solved the puzzle. Are you as clever as he is?
Being one driver short at work, I, along with Lady E. and Slim E. delivered a lot of wine this morning. We decided to have lunch at the office. I had leftover pizza. Lady E and Slim E got some ciabatta sandwiches from Jack in the Box. I cannot condone this.
We share a bottle of 2003 Copain Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir. Very very good.
Oh, the answer to hangman? Here it is.
Wednesday Nov 23 - Tasty Treats
Delivered some wine to Cost Pluses this morning. Had to be in early to make the cut-offs so no coffee at home. On the way back in from Clackamas, I stopped at Jim and Patty's, my old coffee shop when I lived on NE 75th (they use Stumptown beans, so they are A-OK in my book). They also make some of the tastiest coffee cake EVER. Large coffee for me, and treats for the office...
Clockwise from bottom right, blueberry cinnamon scone, hazelnut caramel cinnamon roll, and finally, marionberry coffee cake. They serve these things in mammoth portions. By the time this photo was snapped, three of us had already chowed down.
Tuesday Nov 22 - 'za
Plans with SF fell through as she had to work a little late. I had cleaned the kitchen in preparation for my trip out of town, and didn't want to make too much of a mess, so take and bake 'za it is. Quick, inexpensive, fairly tasty. Grabbed a six pack of Lagunitas at Jay's Mkt, and headed home. Watched Iowa and Texas basketball on TV. Rooting for Iowa, the underdog. They got into foul trouble, and Texas came from behind to win. Good game.
Tuesday Nov 22 - Seconds of Soup
Brought in the remainder of last night's soup to the office with a lemon. Bought some fritos at the Hi-Neighbor deli (no tortilla chips in the small size). Wines were 2001 Casa Castillo Las Gravas Jumilla and 2004 Luzon Verde Jumilla.
Tuesday Nov 22 - Coffee
Coffee. Nothing else.
Monday Nov 21 - Soup, not SF
I had hoped to hang out with SF tonight after she was out of class. Homework had to be done. How unfortunate. So, I pull out a batch of frozen tortilla soup and heat it up. A little fresh cilantro on top, along with a touch of fresh lemon juice. With beer (it is totally a beer meal). I turned the TV on to discover that college basketball season is finally back (if only in a pre-season, exhibition sort of way). Watched the Iowa Hawkeyes upset Kentucky. I've always been a bit of a Kentucky fan (even through, along with Duke, they are the team you love to hate). Tubby Smith coached my alma matter, UGA, before heading to Kentucky to replace Rick Pitino (who, in my opinion, foolishly left UK to coach the Celtics). Anyway, this strays way away from what I ate. The soup was spicier than I remember, and the fresh lemon and cilantro added a much appreciated high note. Tasty, and there is more thawed for lunch Tuesday!
Monday Nov 21 - Dal pt. Deux
Lunch rolls around, and I brought the leftover dal the SF and I made on Sunday night. Reheated pretty well, tasty and filling. It seemed to have picked up some spice overnight.
Monday Nov 21 - The Last Bagel
The bag of bagels has come to an end, my friends. I toast the last one, add butter and salt, and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee. Music, you ask?
Azure Ray's 'Burn and Shiver.'
Sunday Nov 20 - My First Dal
SF came over around 7:30, and we ran off to New Seasons for some ingredients for dal. She brought a few things over from her place, rice, garlic, an onion. She didn't bring turmeric, as she assumed I'd have some. Not a bad assumption, but I didn't have any.
At New Seasons, she buys red lentils, a jalapeno, and cilantro. I buy turmeric, a pomegranate, and some half and half for Monday's coffee.
We speed home and call her friend L to tell her where to come for dinner. SF puts the lentils and water in a pot. I chop the onion, she chops the garlic, I measure the turmeric, and all goes into the pot. Pot on the stove to simmer for 20 min. While waiting, I peel and separate the seeds from the pomegranate. We snack on them while cooking. When the lentils are tender, we add chopped tomato (from my produce stash) and chopped cilantro. Make a batch of rice, and our meal is complete.
I hadn't ever had dal before (or lentils for that matter). Very tasty. I could have used a bit more spice, maybe some more jalapeno, or some of the seeds from the first jalapeno. At any rate, very enjoyable. Thanks SF!
Sunday Nov 20 - Moving and Hot Lips
Helped Miss Tasty and Smooth Melon move the heavy stuff to their new house today (washer, dryer, bed, couch, desk, etc). They bought a couple Hot Lips pizzas for us all to eat. One pepperoni and one bacon/spinach. Mmm, simple but delish.
Sunday Nov 20 - Same Food, New Music
Bagel w/ butter. Coffee. Music.
It's
Lambchop Sunday here at Casa Hungry T. 'Thriller' first, then the absolutely lovely, mesmerizing 'Is A Woman.'
Heading out to help Smooth Melon and Miss Tasty move into their new place momentarily.
Saturday Nov 19 - Monsoon Thai
PDX Wino and DJ are watching Alma while I am out of town for Thanksgiving. I have a few instructions to give them (Alma is finicky, after all). We agree to get dinner tonight, and they select Monsoon Thai. I hadn't been before, but I need to find good Thai in the new 'hood (Thai Ginger just isn't doing it). The standard for me is Chaba Thai on NE Sandy, but that is just too far to go on a night after work.
DJ and I get Black Butte Porters, and the wino gets Tsingha. I order up cashew chicken, DJ gets Lemongrass Chicken Pad Thai with tofu in place of chicken. I am drawing a blank on which wino gets. We share spring rolls to start. Food is very flavorful, but not as spicy as I'd like. I originally order medium, but they tell me medium here is more like mild elsewhere, so I get hot, and it still isn't quite hot enough.
Better than Thai Ginger, not as good as Chaba.
Lovely, stolen artwork by Nate Beaty.
Saturday Nov 20 - Eyes Wide Shut
I've had this movie from Netflix forever. I wasn't a big fan when it first came out, but Slim E. keeps singing its praises. So, today is the day to watch it. I mowed the lawn earlier (thanks to a check-out from the North Portland Tool Library) so it is time for a little rest. Make peanut/ginger noodles, and have a oro blanco greyhound. Movie is a bit better now (I realize the genius of Kubrick) but still lacks something.
Saturday Nov 19 - The usual
Coffee, bagel with butter. Music by
Kid Loco ('Jesus Life for Children Under 12 Inches') and
Neko Case and her Boyfriends ('Furnace Room Lullaby').
Friday Nov 18 - Rabbit and Roux
SF and I hang out on Wednesday night, agree to meet for dinner Friday via a phone call on Thursday. I call Dwayne over at
Roux to see if I can get a table at 6:30 on such short notice. Always accommodating, he says no problem. I am running a touch late, and so is SF. She walks over to my house around 6:20, we depart, and get to the restaurant about 5 minutes late. Our table is just being set, and we are led over after a brief wait.
Even though it is Friday, the place is packed, there is a wait for walk ins, and we are there at the height of dinner rush, we get a booth (thanks Dwayne and Allison!). A quick glance over the menu and I notice a few changes, a new salad, new seasonal sides for some of the entrees, and a few new wines. SF is considering the trout, and even though I should branch out and try something new, I am drawn to the rabbit.
We decide to order wine, and I select a 2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese. Mmmm.
Sticking with tradition, I get the butter lettuce salad with tarragon buttermilk dressing. SF gets a salad with blue cheese, pears, candied walnuts, and greens. Looks very good, and I even try some, despite my aversion to blue cheese.
SF does if fact go with the Trout (although sheseemss tempted by the Sole after the lovely description from Allison). Trout is stuffed with crawfish and served with plenty of lemon. Not being much of a seafood guy, I am not sure if this is common, but the entire fish came out (only the head missing). I try a bite and amsurprisedd to find I like it.
The rabbit is a little tougher than usual, and I end up wishing I had gotten the steak that Allison suggested.
We agree to split dessert, and SF chooses the warm gingerbread with sherry soaked figs. Delish. We leave, terribly full, and SF with a half a fish in a cardboard box.
Friday Nov 18 - Dockside chef salads all around
Ah, Friday's at the office. Get in a touch late, but am still the first person there. Put in a good morning of work, and decide to break for lunch around 12:30. No one else brought lunch either, so I offer to make a run down to the
Dockside to pick up
salads. Everyone agrees. Me, large chef, no olives, ranch dressing (which will be give to Slim E. I use oil and vinegar), Slim E., large chef, everything, thousand island (or is it French? He will mix this with my ranch for a Slim E., original), and Lady E., half chef salad, no dressing, no olives.
While I am running to grab the salads from down the street, the two E.s pick out our wines. 2003 Borsao Campo de Borja, 2002 Spencer Roloson La Herradura Syrah, 2003 Nora "Pietan" Albarino, and 2004 Wine By Joe Pinot Blanc.
We eat, drink, and talk, and then someone (probably me) suggests hangman. Lunch runs until 3:30, when I head home.
Please note on the hangman board shown here, there are no missed letters. I guess it was pretty obvious to everyone what this clue was.
Friday Nov 18 - Coffee, hold the bagel...
Just coffee again this morning. I'm running late, and must get to the office, but I HAVE to have my caffeine.
Thursday Nov 17 - Not the best day for eating
Breakfast - Coffee from stumptown. I am out of beans, so I get the french pressed goodness of the cafe. I also grab a half pound for home. No food.
Lunch - What lunch? Too busy.
Dinner - Work until 7:30. No time to get real food, so I eat the left-over take and bake pizza. 1 bottle of Lagunitas Censored Ale.
I WILL eat better tomorrow. Reservations at 6:30 at Roux for dinner with SF (not porkchop, the other SF).
Wednesday Nov 16 - Playing Catch-Up Again
Alright. No more excuses. No more falling behind (ha, fat chance). Here is the rundown on what I ate on Wednesday.
Breakfast - Bagel, coffee, water. Standard, right?
Lunch - Still haven't made the orzo. Beginning to worry about the chicken that is still in my fridge. I am making my rounds today, calling on accounts, and I get to
Caprial's a little early. There is a bit of a line-up, so I decide to have lunch. Always good food. A few salespeople friends were waiting and eating as well, so I join them. Sandwich of the day is meatloaf (a fave of mine, I really prefer meatloaf sandwiches to plain meatloaf, though). The meatloaf is a little different. Instead of the 'classic' mixture of veal, beef, and pork, they have mixed chicken and Italian sausage. The slices of meatloaf were then lightly grilled and placed on perfectly salted focaccia. Crisp romaine lettuce and aioli finish the package. Side of fries, which, IMHO, topped the fries at
Wildwood. Sorry guys!!
Dinner - Worked REALLY late tonight. Didn't get out of the warehouse until 8:15. Get to
New Seasons and realize my wallet is still at the office. I am trying desperately to catch
Lost at 9, so I really don't want to head back to NW, but I really don't have an option. I succumb to take and bake pizza (which isn't really as bad as it could be). Toss on a few extra spices (oregano, thyme, sage. I realize now I forgot red pepper flakes). Stopped on the way at Jay's Market for some beer.
Lagunitas Censored Ale. Get home just in time to preheat the over and turn the TV on. Put the pizza in during the 1st commercial break, take it out during the second, and have my meal during the last half of the show.
Pepperoni is my preferred topping, if anyone is curious.
Tuesday Nov 15 - Garlic/Chorizo Soup
CG (who will henceforth be know as Cece) and I finally agreed to make that Garlic/Chorizo soup tonight. This is the soup that we failed to make last week. I headed down to Sellwood after work to Cece and Porkchop's house. I had to meet a co-worker to return a wallet. They were luckily close to Sellwood, and we agreed to meet at the QFC parking lot. I had to pick up some
fresh thyme for the soup (and some cat food, not for the soup) anyway, so it worked out pretty well. On to their house to begin the prep work. Cece was kind enough to hold the prepping for me and the camera.
Step One-Prepare the garlic. We break up 5 heads of garlic (yes, entire heads. It is garlic soup after all!) into cloves, and toss them into a pot with some olive oil, stirring occasionally. 8 to 10 min or so, just until the
skin is golden and the cloves are soft.
Remove with a slotted spoon, peel, and toss into the food processor. We were hungry, and may have peeled the garlic cloves too soon, as we were constantly screaming 'Ouch!' No pain no gain, right?
Forgot to mention one thing, the wine. Actually 2 things, the wines. First up was a Viognier from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Not the best expression of Viognier I'd tasted. Amazing nose, but the palate seemed a little oxidized
(2004 Iniskillin). We suspect perhaps it cooked in Cece's car, although maybe not. Wine 2 was a Selbach-Oster Riesling out of Germany (2003 Zeltinger Schlossberg Auslese). Much, MUCH better. Man, I love good Riesling.
But, back to the food. One we removed the cloves and picked the rest of the skins out of the pot, we threw in the chorizo, which cooked in the garlic oil. Meanwhile, we pureed the peeled garlic cloves in a food processor. Added the fresh thyme to the chorizo, let it cook for 30 seconds of so, and added some chicken stock along with the pureed garlic, and stirred. And that was it.
We ladle the soup into bowls. Serve it with a pomegranate and avocado salad and some cheese toast (Cece, I'm forgetting the type of cheese right now, maybe you can remind me?) Everything looks great. We sit and begin to taste
our soup. Unfortunately, it is terribly bland. We add more salt, still bland and kind of watery. We pour the bowls back into the pot and crank the heat, hoping to boil some of the offending water out. It works, a little. With the addition of more salt, it becomes edible.
Porkchop grills up some hamburgers, and I supplement my hunger with beef and bun.
Overall, good company, but the soup left a lot to be desired. We have agreed to try it again, with some adjustments (I think I am going to try to make garlic stock from scratch, and we are going to seek out better chorizo). I'll let you know how it goes!
Tuesday Nov 15 - Wildwood
Another supplier in town at work. We went to
Wildwood (last time I was there was with yet
another supplier nearly a year ago).
I probably should have gotten something a little fancier, but I was craving a burger. And what a burger it was. Thick, juicy, cooked to order. I got mine with cheddar and bacon. The bacon was amazingly crisp without being overdone, a thin line to is too often crossed. Fresh bun, not too dry. Grilled onions, a touch of mayo, and pesto. Very tasty.
The burger is served with fries. Unfortunately, I must admit that the fries left quite a bit to be desired. They were limp and undercooked. The seasoning was spot on, though, and I found enough well cooked fries in my stack to enjoy. I also found a couple extra pieces of bacon hidden in my fries. A super surprise.
Tuesday Nov 15 - Another bagel
Bagel with butter (more butter this morning, it was a little dry yesterday), coffee, water. Chicken for Alma.
Monday Nov 14 - Are foods you freeze on purpose called leftovers?
Tonight, I had some pasta with more of the tomato/basil/cream sauce. Would you call that leftovers? Loyal readers will remember that I made this sauce a couple weeks ago, and froze the majority of it for quick, weeknight dinners, such as tonight's.
Got home around 5:45. Washed the dishes from this morning's breakfast and coffee, put in a load of laundry, fed the cat (ocean fish), put on some music (tonight it is
Explosions in the Sky's album 'The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place.' Killer album by the way. Take the best parts of Red Stars Theory's 'Life In A Bubble Can Be Beautiful' and Goodspeed You Black Emperor, whisk together, play loud), and got to work.
But I get ahead of myself... This morning, I had put a small Tupperware container of sauce from the freezer into the fridge. I don't think that what I have is actually Tupperware, just some knockoff. At any rate, I also thawed two of Fred Carlo's sausages in the fridge (in tin foil, not faux-Tupperware).
Back to present... So, water in a pot, generous pinch of kosher salt in the water, pot onto the stove. Thawed sauce into a second pot, pot onto the stove. Sausages into an omelet pan, pan onto the stove. Sausages sizzle, water boils, sauce heats up. The meal comes together incredible quickly. So quick that I barely have time to mix a drink.
I purchased what I believed to be heirloom grapefruits at
New Seasons yesterday (are there such things?). What I got, called Oro Blanco (white gold), is actually a cross between a grapefuit and a pumello. Quite juicy. I make my greyhound with
Ketel One vodka. Squeeze fruit, add ice, pour vodka, shake, pour into a glass (I pick my goldfish glass, see photo), and taste. All this before I bother to look up Oro Blanco online. Tastes like a greyhound, but not sour (like I like it), more sweet. Online, I learn the true identity of my mixer. I also learn that it is universally regarded as much sweeter than grapefruit. At least my tastebuds are calibrated.
Good meal. Tasty and satisfying. I seem to always cook too much pasta. Cooking for one and getting portions the right size is tough. If anyone has pointers, please shoot them my way.
Goodnight...
Monday Nov 14 - Supplier Lunch
Lucky me. I didn't make orzo, and I imagined I'd have to eat lunch out (it would probably have been a Dockside salad), but as fate would have it, we had a supplier in town showing us a ton of wines, and they were going to be here over the lunch hour (and when we have supplier in the office, lunch turns into a multi-hour affair).
Lady E. picked up some goodies at
Pastaworks NW on the way into the office today. Forgive me for not getting all the names, but we had cheese, salami, 2 kinds of bread (from
Pearl Bakery, Lady E.'s pick, I tend to prefer
Ken's), ham, turkey, potato chips (
Kettle brand, both the Salt and Pepper (my fave) and Salt and Vinegar (my 2nd fave)), cookies, and dark chocolate shortbreads.
Oh, and there was the wine. Our supplier had just flown into town, and didn't have her white wines chilled, so we tossed her bottles into the freezer and busted out one of our new Chablis. Last year, there was a problem with our entire Chablis shipment. It had been shipped in a non-refrigerated container, and it showed. The wine was unmistakably cooked. The importer (my favorite of all of our importers, not just because the wine is French, but because they are incredible cool as well) took full responsibility, and we were financially compensated. Needless to say, we were extremely excited to try the new vintage (2003). The Chablis is from
Alice and Olvier De Moor, a hip young couple who own around 20 acres. Instead of inheriting vineyards from their families, these kids are making their own way. Their holdings are almost evenly split between Chablis and St. Bris (if you don't know about St. Bris, go out and get one RIGHT NOW to try. They are divine. One of the only viticultural areas in all of Burgundy to grow Sauvignon Blanc. They are probably closer to the Loire vineyards of Sancerre than to the Cote d'Or, so it does make sense).
So, we open the bottle, pour glasses all around, and stick our noses in the glass. The unmistakable smell of TCA. Damn! We chill another bottle to try later.
We eat, the supplier tells us about the properties we are tasting. They are Italian wines, and many of you know my disdain for Italian wines. These were quite good, and well priced to boot. Hopefully we will bring them in.
Bottle 2 of the Chablis is quite nice. I am looking forward to trying an uncooked bottle of their St. Bris, though, which I hear is simply amazing. Lunch wraps up a mere 3 hours after it began. A little more work, and then it is time to run home.
Monday Nov 14 - Eh, Monday always comes too soon
Got to bed at a decent hour last night. Didn't make a difference, still didn't want to get up and go to work...
Bagel toasted with butter (yep, not 7 or 12 grain toast for me this week...) and coffee. I never got around to making orzo for work...
Alma had beef.
Sunday Nov 13 - Mix Up
On the way home from the movie (Elevator to the Gallows at Cinema 21), I stop in to New Season to pick up some groceries. I get ingredients for next weeks lunches (I am going to branch out and make lemon chicken orzo salad, b
y the way), ingredients for salsa, as I have chips at home (I vowed to make it fresh a while back), heirloom grapefruits for greyhound, bagels for breakfast, and a few pears for whenever (one comice and one concorde). Oh, and some fresh herbs, half and half,
and butter.
I get home, throw the cold foods into the fridge and whip up the salsa. Just the basics, tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, a pinch of oregano, lime juice, and a splash of cider
vinegar. Stir, taste, add a touch of salt, and it is good to go.
I picked up a few fresh herbs at the store for a reason. I had a craving for an omelet. I had some eggs from The Gardener's chickens. The chickens' names are Ruth (Bader Ginsnburg) and Mabel. Ruth's eggs are bigger, so I crack three, add the chopped herbs and some salt and pepper, and whisk with a fork. Turn on one of the gas burners, and melt a bit of butter in a pan. Grated Swiss (I know, I know, I wish I had Emmentaler or Gruyere in the house, but it was just plain old Swiss). Pour a glass of J. Christopher 2004 Riesling, and I am set.
The omelet doesn't quite fill me up, so I chow on the chips and salsa too.
Sunday Nov 13 - Typical breakfast
Any guesses? Toast, coffee, and NPR.
Saturday Nov 12 - Late Lunch
Spent the middle of the day working on analyzing the data from the Apple Battle Royale, and putting together the web presentation of said data. A little sneak preview, Gold Blush did not win.
I spoke with S.F., who will, from this point forward, be known as pork chop, and we agreed to meet for a late lunch around 3 or 4. When I called around 4, he was napping, and although he denied it, I totally woke him up. We decided to meet at the Limelight in West Moreland. I know, I vowed to eat better yesterday, but their fries are so damn good.
I got what I always get, a pint of Mirror Pond, Sante Fe Chicken sandwich, fries, and ranch to dip them in. Now, before you pass judgment, think about the worst thin you've eaten this week. Allright, it probably isn't as bad a fries dipped in ranch dressing, but we all have our weaknesses, right?
Saturday Nov 12 - Wake Up
Alma allowed me to sleep in until 8:30 this morning, which is pretty late for her to keep quiet. She is a very talkative cat. Anyway, rolled out of bed, let Alma outside and hopped into the shower. Let Alma back in, shave, put water on for coffee...
While the water was heating up to a boil, I did a ton of dishes. I've been a little bad on letting the dishes pile up in the sink. At this point, everything is done except for 4 wine glasses, the mug I am drinking from right now, the plate I am eating from right now, and the french press coffee pot. Now, I can mess it up again. I am thinking of making a pear tart today.
So, stumptown coffee with half and half, no sugar,
ever. I'm from the south, and no sugar in tea either. Yuck. Toast with peanut butter. I noticed that the toast was taking a little longer then usual this morning, and when it finally popped up out of the toaster, it was
WAY more toasted then I like. I check the settings, and sure enough, they were set too high. I asked Alma about it, but she had no comment. It was either her or a ghost. Edible, but not to my liking.
Alma has beef, and Grandaddy's 'The Sophtware Slump' is on the iPod. I'll switch back to NPR as soon as Car Talk is over.
Friday Nov 11 - Pizza and Pavement
Friday night, alone at home with the cat. Pavement's 'Crooked Rain Crooked Rain' on the iPod. Leftover pizza. Working on the food group's web page, posting the results of Apple Battle Royale and the Chocolate Taste-Off. Considering a new blog...
To drink? Lagunitas. At this point, the pizza is gone and the beer is gone. Tomorrow, I'll try again to eat healthier. And tastier. Just better overall. Yep.
Alma's having chicken.
Friday Nov 11, 2005 - Russell Street BBQ
Lunchtime. No sandwich from home today, still no lunch meat. Not really in the mood for a salad. Then I realize that Russell Street BBQ is back in business (after being closed nearly 3 months due to a kitchen fire). I'm heading out of the office to drop a sample
bottle of wine off at an account anyway, so I offer to pick-up food for myself and Slim E.
We each get a "Virginia Pulled Pork" sandwich. Slim E. gets ketchup based sauce, while I opt for vinegar. Fries on the side, naturally, with their
"Cajun Mayo" for dipping. We also get an order of hush puppies to split, which come with jalapeno honey mustard sauce. Tasty. I realized I needed to document this meal with the camera a little too late (you see, I was so eager to dive right in). So, here you see a half eaten sandwich, half order of fries, and some hush puppies.
For wine, there are a number of options. I try most of them. 2004 Vina Sila Naia, 2000 Spencer-Roloson Chiles Valley Zinfandel, 2001 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza, 2002 Keegan Chardonnay, 2004 Lachini Pinot Noir "S Cuvee," probably others that aren't leaping to mind at the moment. Very good and satisfying lunch.
Friday Nov 11, 2005 - Playing catch-up
My, what a busy week. Here is a quick rundown of my last several meals...
Friday, Nov 11, breakfast - Toast, NPR, Coffee, water, blogging.
Although Alma has chicken in her bowl, she is chewing on the paper bag I take to work with me. She has this funny habit of biting and ripping off small pieces of paper bag, and then throwing them down. I have no idea if other cats do this, or if it is just her, and although it cracks me up, it makes a huge mess.
Thursday, Nov 10, dinner - I am feeling a little under the weather. I decide it is pizza and beer night. I hit the local 'take and bake' spot on the corner of Denver and Portland. Large Pepperoni. I have Lagunitas at home. I missed the latest episode of Lost Wednesday when I we at the neighborhood meeting, but luckily, they now offer Lost on iTunes. I downloaded it while still at the office and watched it at home while eating my dinner. Later, I watched 3 episodes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a cartoon with a superhero milkshake, french fries, and meatball (tastefully named meatwad).
Thursday, Nov 10, lunch - no lunch meat at home this morning, therefore, no sandwich. Dockside salad will do the trick. I call down and have them whip me up a large chef salad, hold the olives, hold the dressing. As I am about to leave to pick it up, a truck arrives from California, and as I am the only forklift driver at the office, I have to unload it. Lady E. is nice enough to pick up my salad as I work. Slim E., Lady E., and I eat lunch together. Wine was Telmo Rodriguez' 2002 M2 Ribera del Duero. Quite nice, for a tough vintage in Spain.
Thursday, Nov 10, breakfast - Out of coffee beans, so went to Stumptown on SW 3rd. Bought a large cup to go, and a half pound of Guatemalan beans, unground. Considering buying a better grinder. My friend S.H. has a great grinder that costs around $120.00. It is completely impressive, although I'm sure she doesn't use all 12 grind settings.
Wednesday, Nov 9, dinner - after the neighborhood association meeting, which ran last, I walked home and heated up some Tortilla Soup that I had thawed from the freezer. Eaten with tortilla chips and store bought salsa. Whenever I eat store bought salsa, it is always the fresh kind, never in a jar, unrefrigerated. No matter, it is never as satisfying as homemade, and I always swear I will just make my own from now on. It's not that hard, and certainly doesn't take too long. Why do I keep buying it pre-prepared?
Wednesday Nov 9, 2005 - Office lunch, again
This will be quick. A completely out of balance roast beef sandwich (I was running low on the roast beef, so I tried to compensate with extra swiss). Grabbed a bag of sun chips from Hi-Neighbor, and had a leftover apple from Apple Battle Royale for dessert.
Wednesday Nov 9, 2005 - Waiting for Firewood
This morning, I am having my firewood delivered for the season. No more crappy fire logs for me. A half cord of mixed hardwood. I can't wait to start using it.
Waiting for the guys to arrive (they were 30 minutes late) gave me an opportunity to clean up from Apple Battle (info to be posted shortly, watch this space), to make coffee and toast for breakfast, and to make a sandwich for lunch.
Alma ate some beef, but hid under my bedspread when the firewood guys arrived. She is a real scardy-cat. For all the folks who have e-mailed asking about Alma, I've posted a photo of her here.
Tuesday Nov 8, 2005 - Roux again
Allright. This has got to stop. I can't keep going to Roux. It's just that their sandwiches are really, really good.
Miss Tasty and I were on our way to NoPo to set up for the Apple Battle Royale. Seemed like a good idea to call ahead and get po-boys from Roux. It's close to my place, close to New Seasons (the source for the apples), and I like it. Isn't that reason enough? Miss Tasty calls 411 to get the number. They gladly make us sandwiches, even though they are closing in 5 minutes. We get there 20 minutes later, and they couldn't have been nicer. They even slipped a couple of tiny cakes into our bag. Thanks Roux!
On to New Seasons for the apples. Miss Tasty considered sitting in the car and eating her po-boy while I shopped (the smell was amazing), but consented to come inside. 10 kinds of apples, 1 bottle local dry hard apple cider, and a baguette for palette cleansing. We pay up, hop in the car, speed to my place, and proceed to DEVOUR our food. Me, andouille po boy and side of coleslaw, Miss Tasty, andouille po boy and a side of potato salad.
We finish our food (but not the dessert) before all the guests arrive. Apples, apples, and more apples. This morning, while cleaning up, I find the cakes still on the counter. I guess I have dessert for lunch today.
Alma chowed on some chicken (although I am quite certain she would have been happier with Andouille).
Tuesday Nov 8, 2005 - Office Lunch
I am so behind on this blog. Maybe 3 posts a day is too much?
Roastbeef sandwich, sun chips (Do you think they are actually any more healthy than doritos? Discuss...), bosc pear, water.
Tuesday Nov 8, 2005 - Leaving your coffee at home
Peanut butter toast, coffee, water, NPR, e-mail.
Alma had ocean fish.
I brew enough coffee in the french press for a mug at home and a travel mug to take to the office (we use stumptown at, but it is drip). Today, I was running late, and had to scrape ice from the winshield (I have a garage, a HUGE garage in fact. I should probably use it). I left my travel mug on the counter by the back door. Piping hot french press stumptown. Brings a tear your eye, no?
Super excited about tonight's Apple Battle Royale!!!
Monday Nov 7, 2005 - Love Your Goat
A friend's birthday dinner (I guess he is now known as Scoop online?) was held at Montego Bay on SW Jefferson last night. I caught the Max down, and as usual, I missed the first train. There is nothing worse than walking toward the max station and seeing the train you are tying to catch arrive in the station, let passengers out, takes passengers on, and depart as you sprint to the platform (well, there are some things that are worse, but it was really cold out last night).
So, I sat and read
Garbage Land while waiting for the next train. iPod was on my person, so I had some tunes. Watched a somewhat brutal fight, considered trying to stop it, but realized the fight erupted when one of the man told the other to stop yelling at a barking dog, and that me saying 'stop fighting' might turn their anger toward me. Anyway, the train came, and I headed downtown. After quick hop off to get cash at the ATM and to change trains, I arrived at Montego Bay only 30 minutes late.
apparently, I missed everyone betting on what I would eat. A few folks voted oxtail (which is what Scoop got). Not a bad guess, really. That would have been my second choice. Miss Tasty (who, by the way, beat me to this story on her blog,
Miss Tasty's Cafe) voted goat, the correct answer. My new years resolution was to eat horse this year. Haven't found it yet, but I have tried both Rabbit and Goat for the first time.
So, curried goat with gunga pea rice and plantaines. Delish. And what else but a greyhound to wash it down. Am I becoming predictable or what? By the way, I googled 'gunga' to get the spelling correct, and it appears that this may be what Jack planted in Jack and the Beanstalk. Peastalk might be more accurate.
One thing Ms. Tasty's account of this tale fails to mention was the presence at dinner of an unnamed local radio personality.
Afterwards, a few of us (Ms. Tasty, Scoop, and myself) wanted coffee, so we tried to go to Stumptown Annex, Stumptown SE, Stumptown Downtown, Gilt Club and Saucebox (last two for Spanish Coffee) but all were closed. We finally stopped into Backspace for some coffee. Not bad, but certainly not stumptown.
Alma had chicken.
Monday Nov 7, 2005 - Sandwich
I'm making a real attempt to bring my lunch to work everyday. In my line of work, it is WAY too easy to stop in at an account for lunch (say Roux or Caprials), or an account that is not mine (say Gotham or Justa Pasta). These, although nearly always fantastic, are more expensive than a sandwich brought from home. Today (and all this week, really, because I am not going to buy a quarter of a pound of 3 kinds of lunch meat) I am having roastbeef and swiss. I try to mix it up from week to week. This week, 12 grain bread (apparently 7 grains are not enough?). Sometimes, aged cheddar, sometimes, fancy salami and baguettes with triple cream (Explorateur if I can find it), sometimes (as was the case last week) turkey. Not a big fan of lunch meat style ham. Not sure why, probably something from my troubled youth.
At any rate, roastbeef and swiss, bag of Doritos from the Hi-Neighbor Deli, and some Hot Tamales (I watched a special on Hot Tamales on the Food Network on Sunday).
For the wine (there is ALWAYS wine), an old bottle of 2003 St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone (somewhat unique in the fact that it is a 100% Syrah CdR) from Friday that was still amazingly vibrant. It was in our cold warehouse over the weekend, which surely slowed it's oxidation.
Monday Nov 7, 2005 - PB Toast
Coffee. Peanut butter toast. Water. E-mail. NPR. Chicken for Alma. Yawn.
Sunday Nov 6, 2005 - Steak and Rice
No lunch today. Had a late breakfast and early dinner.
Around 2, I whipped up a marinade for my steak. Ginger, garlic, and lime. A little salt, pepper, and oil too. Threw it into the fridge for a few hours.
Second, I prepared a ginger/peanut sauce. Normally just a peanut sauce, I added some extra fresh ginger this time around. A bit of red pepper for some heat. Also, peanut butter, sesame oil, honey, and water.
Around 5, I threw some jasmine rice into some water and then onto the stove. I heated up a pan for the steak. A little pan searing for the meat, some boilin' for the rice.
Plated up the garnishes of cucumber and lime, and then assembled the meal. Eaten with Lagunitas "Censored" Copper Ale. By the way, anyone know what the word beneath the Censored bar is? I've always wondered.
Later tonight? The Simpsons 'Treehouse of Terror' and a bosc pear.
Alma is about to get a bowl of beef. No early dinner for her.
Sunday Nov 6, 2005 - Peanut Butter Toast
Nothing too special this morning. Stumptown coffee from the french press. Still working on the loaf of 7 grain, I toasted some toast, and slathered on some Adams smooth peanut butter. Normally I buy chunky, but this is for a ginger-peanut sauce I plan to make later today, so creamy was necessary.
Sitting in the dining room, looking over the Libra Party photos, listening to
Godspeed You Black Emperor!'s 'Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven,' eating peanut butter toast, drinking coffee in flannel pants and slippers. Hell, the sun is even shining (for now). All seems pretty good in the world.
BTW-Alma had chicken, her new favorite meal.
Saturday Nov 5, 2005 - In France, the salad comes last
I found myself home alone at 6:30 on a Saturday, the fire was going out in the fireplace. I called my friend S.H., who claimed to have not eaten all day. I headed over to NW PDX, where we went to Blue Moon. They have a fireplace, and their wood actually seemed to burn. Ingenious! Hopefully, the wood that is delivered to my place on Wednesday will burn. Keep you fingers crossed for me.
Personally, I find McMenamins food lacking. When I hit the Blue Moon with S.H., I almost always get the same thing, the Blackened Chicken Cobb Salad (substitute oil and vinegar for the blue cheese dressing that normally accompanies it). Decent chicken breast (blackened and spicy), bacon (fairly crisp), hard boiled egg (a little too hard, I think), and tomato. And, since we were at a bar, greyhounds. McMenamins does at least one thing right, fresh squeezed citrus. I am a fan of pulp, and this greyhound had just enough. Mmmm.
Saturday Nov 5, 2005 - Sandwich, pt. 2
C.G. and S.F. headed up to NoPo. We failed to make garlic and chorizo soup, as planned. Instead, we got take-out po-boys from Roux's Bon Temps deli. Back at Casa Hungry Thom, we lit a fire in the fireplace, threw on some tunes (Lambchop's 'Is A Woman' and Grandaddy's 'Sumday'), and proceeded to chow. After finishing our food (there was also potato leek soup, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw), we cozied up to the fire and did some reading. C.G. read the new issue of Chow, S.F. ready last week's Oregonian "Food Day," and Hungry Thom is reading Garbage Land. Fascinating reading. C.G. is still a little sick, so the two of them headed home 'round 6.
Saturday Nov 5, 2005 - Sandwich
Polishing off lunch 'leftovers' from last week. A little sandwich of 7 grain bread, the last of the turkey, and most of the last of the cheddar. Not the most satisfying lunch on a cold, rainy fall day, but I'm not wasting food, and I expect C.G., S.F. and I to make some tasty food this afternoon. They are due over in about an hour.
Saturday Nov 5, 2005 - Breakfast
Got a bit of a late start this morning. Made coffee, and drank it while cleaning the kitchen. All the pots and pans are finally clean (just in time for me to mess them up again, as C.G. and I are going to try some new recipes, most notable Garlic and Chorizo soup, but more on that later). So, clean kitchen means I get to eat breakfast. Nothing fancy, just some toast and an apple. On the iPod, Lambchop. Candles. Nice, calm, quiet, overcast Saturday morning. I really wish I already had firewood. Note to self, find firewood next week. Wouldn't this picture be a lot cozier with a fire in the fireplace?
Friday Nov 4, 2005 - K.L.'s Birthday Bash
Finished up at work in the warehouse, headed home, showered, dressed, and headed out to meet the crew at Salvador Molly's on the Westside for partytime. Before leaving for Molly's, Alma needed some food. I forgot to buy it on the way home, so a quick trip to Fred Meyer, and Alma was happy as a clam with a big bowl of chicken (anyone want to play spot the misplaced modifier?). Anyway, back to our story...
I'd been here once before, and thought it was OK. It was a lot more fun AND tasty this time. I had a few bites of the tables nachos (pork, guac., queso fresco, salsa), and then ordered up a chicken tamale. The tamale was good. Steamed in banana leaf, served with pickled onions, guac, salsa, cheese, and on the side, a little cabbage salad, banana rice, and beans. Greyhounds to drink (what else).
Service was great, considering we were a table of 20-ish. We pretty much had the entire bar to ourselves. R.T. was kind enough to untangle to bill, collect cards and cash, and make sure we had tipped enough.
Then we were off to East, a bar in NW Portland's 'Old Town/Chinatown' district. Greyhounds. Good time, good people, good drinks. Lots of red. Exactly how safe is a glowing red icecube in a cocktail?? Thanks K.L., and Happy B-Day.
Friday Nov 4, 2005 - 'Pizza Friday'
Every few weeks at work, we have what is known as 'Pizza Friday,' or 'Za Friday' for short. We order up a few Hot Lips Pizzas and drink some wine. Today was one of those days.
Lady E. is out of town, so I did the ordering. 2 pies, one large cheese (does it bother anyone else that the smallest size is 'large?') and one giant pepperoni (we usually get housemade pepperoni, but they were out of it today).
S.B. was still in town, so we 'revisited' the Il Cuore line-up (Chard, Cab, Sangiovese Blend, and Barbera). Also tried the 2003 Pride Mountain Merlot. And, Slim E. and I decided to throw a secret bottle into the mix, in a brown bag, none the less.
Everyone ate, drank, and was merry. S.B. guesses the right country of origin on the secret wine, and A.B. guesses the grape. It was a 2003 Portuguese Tinta Roriz. Tasty stuff.
Za Friday ended in a rousing game of Hangman on the blackboard. Slim E. created the last puzzle. The answer? Thom Sucks. Thanks E!
Friday Nov 4, 2005 - Coffee
As I was out late last night at Portland City Grill, I did not get to clean the kitchen yet. And, like yesterday morning, no breakfast in a messy kitchen. This morning, I am at home, waiting for my chimney repairman to arrive (new mortar in my furnace chimney). So, while waiting, I washed a batch of dishes. There is still one more batch to go (plates are done, pots and pans still in the sink). I really miss having a dishwasher!!
So, my breakfast? Coffee. I know I sound like a broken record here, but Stumptown's Guatemala coffee from a french press. I add half and half to my coffee, but no sugar. A while back, I was using actual cream. Totally tasty, but really bad for you. Mmm.
Alma got ocean fish.
Thursday Nov 3, 2005 - Dinner
Business dinners are one of the perks I love about my job. Last evening, Slim E., Lady E., and a visiting supplier who I will call S.B., dined at Portland City Grill. I had been to PCG for drinks before (I found the room to be a bit smoky, and the drinks only OK), but never for dinner.
S.B. and I arrived a little late, and Slim E. was already there. He had a glass of wine (I believe a Riesling). I ordered my standard drink, a greyhound, and S.B. got a glass of a local Pinot Gris. We brought our own wine for dinner (2001 Il Cuore Rosso Classico (a tasty blend of Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Carignane) and 2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon) both to drink and to share with the buyer and staff of the restaurant. Lady E, arrived shortly after, and went straight for the Il Cuore.
As a first course, I ordered an iceberg wedge salad. This may be
standard stuff, but I found it a little odd (see photo to the right). I like iceberg, as I think I have mentioned before, but this was, literally, a wedge cut from a head of lettuce and drizzled with dressing. Tasty, but a little odd. In the name of full disclosure, this photo is not from PCG, but an image I found of a wedge salad online.
Next, a steak. With a wine as noble as a Pride Mountain Cab, I thought it'd be appropriate. I got a 12 oz NY Strip, which I requested to be cooked medium. The steak arrived, and was cooked just as ordered. I did find it to be a little salty (and for those of you who do not know me, I like salt), but not so much that it was too distracting. On the side, a little mashed potatoes (which needed added salt) and a few sticks of veggies. Wine and steak were a good pair.
Dessert was flourless chocolate torte with blackberry sauce and macadamia nut brittle. It was OK.
All in all, I found the food pretty good, but thought that for the money, we could have bought some great steaks and prepared them at home. But I guess you are paying, at least in part, for the view, the incredibly attentive (albeit slightly stuffy) service, and the experience of dining out at the PCG.
Alma, you ask? Well, she had a can of Iams beef cat food. I made it home between work and dinner to feed her and get the to PO Box.
Thursday Nov 3, 2005 - Lunch
Nearly identical to yesterday's lunch. Turkey sandwich, Doritos, wine. Today, it was a little bit of a number of different wines...
2004 Telmo Rodriguez Dehesa Gago
2004 Telmo Rodrgiuez LZ
2004 Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz
2003 St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone
2003 Montirius Gigondas
2002 Ramey Russian River Chardonnay
2001 Ch. Haut-Monplaisir Cahors
2003 Dobbes Family "Grand Assemblage" Pinot Noir
2003 Wine By Joe Pinot Noir
Not too bad for a quick lunch at the office...
Thursday Nov 3, 2005 - Coffee
I find it difficult to cook in a messy or dirty kitchen. I left the pots and pans from last night's dinner in the sink, and therefore found it difficult to make toast. Sounds crazy, I know. Plus, I am out of coffee beans, so there was even less of a draw to stay home.
I headed into Stumptown on 3rd. Got a large coffee to go, and a half pound of beans. Here is what the Stumptown page has to say about my coffee...
"Guatemala Finca el Injerto
Since 1905, Finca El Injerto has produced exceptional coffee with a commitment to respecting and preserving the natural resources of the Huehuetenango region of northern Guatemala. Arturo Auguirre owns and operates the farm with the help of his son. The majority of the hectares of Fince el Injerto are a natural preserve that surrounds and protects the coffee plantation. You all remember this coffee from last year. It’s back and as nice as Arturo’s previous crop. The cup is a little softer than last year; however, flavors of milk chocolate, allspice, and dried fruit are all still found in this tough little rig. Viva El Injerto!"
Wednesday Nov 2, 2005 - Dinner
So, time to take care of myself. Got home from work around 6:30. Fed Alma (ocean fish). Lit a fire in the fireplace (the first fire at my new house). Threw Lightnin' Hopkins on the radio. Got to cookin'.
First things first, vino. I grabbed a bottle of 2001 Eric Texier Cotes-du-Rhone Brezeme from the cellar and popped the cork. I even went as far as to grab the appropriate Riedel glass from the built-in cabinet in the dining room (Vinum series Syrah, FYI).
I had made a tomato/basil/cream sauce over the weekend that I heated up on the stove. Boiled some water for pasta (linguine), and threw a couple of Fred Carlo's hot Italian sausages (fennel, chili, and garlic) into a pan. Cut up a tomato for a little salad.
Filp the sausage. Stir the pasta in the water. Don't let the sauce overheat. Pretty basic cooking, but just the right amount, really, for a Wednesday night. And, for dessert, a red Bartlett pear. Mmm.
Looking forward to more wine in front of the fire with a new book from the library (Garbage Land by Elizabeth Royte).
Goodnight.
Wednesday Nov 2, 2005 - Lunch
Allright. Swung into the office around 2 for a little bite to eat. I brought a chipotle turkey sandwich from home. Picked up a bag of chips (I love the crunch) from the Hi-Neighbor deli which is, in fact, our neighbor. A glass of 2004 Clonakilla "Hilltops district" Shiraz from New South Wales, Australia. And, the second of two Pinata apples for dessert. Not a bad lunch.
If you haven't tried the Clonakilla Shiraz, you should. This is one of the finest (in my opinion) Australian wines out there. Class, finesse, style, beauty. Great stuff.
Wednesday Nov 2, 2005 - Breakfast
Starting the day off right today. You know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? So, 7 grain toast with honey, one of the Pinata apples, stumptown coffee from my French press.
The apple, you ask? A bit of a letdown. Nice and juicy, with a good crunch, but I found the texture a little pasty. Kind of like when flour doesn't really mix into gravy properly? You know? And the flavor was merely average.
On that note, my food group, Edible Porn, is doing an apple tasting next week. I wonder if Pinata will do better when tasted blind against it's competitors. Watch the EP page for results in a few weeks...
Alma did not enjoy her lamb last night. This morning's beef was much more to her liking.
Tuesday Nov 1, 2005 - Dinner (Post Script)
Alma was in fact very hungry by the time I got home at 8:30. She gets a tasty lamb dinner for her patience and understanding.
On the way home, I stopped at
New Seasons, picked up cream for my morning coffee, a couple of organic apples for breakfast, and some 7 grain bread and turkey breast for a lunch sandwich. Penance for my fast food weakness.
By the way, the apples are Pinata apples, which New Seasons describes as "A new European variety with a dense texture and complex, sweet/tart flavor that actually improves during storage. Is this the next Fuji?"
Tuesday Nov 1, 2005 - Dinner?
Well, this is an embarrassment. I had hopped that this blog would shame me into eating better, so I wouldn't have to admit eating fast food. But, tonight I failed. Working late in the warehouse, my partner in crime, Slim E., brought some Jack in the Box. Ultimate Sausage sandwich and curly fries. It is sad how satisfying this can be. Tasty. Hot. Fast. Cheap. I'm really working on cutting down on this kind of food. It's just so bad for you.
Alma hasn't gotten food yet. I'm heading home to feed her now. She's probably hungry. I wouldn't feed her Jack in the Box, so why do I eat it?
Tuesday Nov 1, 2005 - Lunch
I failed once again to bring a bag lunch from home (one of my cost (and calorie) saving measures). My standby is to get a big salad from this place near our warehouse. Its called The Dockside. This is place where "the man" found the evidence to implicate Tanya Harding in the assault on Nancy Kerrigan so long ago.
At any rate, a decent salad. Mainly iceberg (I like the crunch), decent amount of turkey and ham, 2 kinds of cheese, tomatoes, and on the side, one of their homemade biscuits. I have them hold the olives. Organic 1st press Spanish olive oil from the office and a dash of balsamic takes care of the dressing.
And, a glass of wine, of course.
I wonder if Alma wishes she could have lunch too.
Oh, and a good poem on iceberg lettuce can be found at
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/programs/2001/08/13/, just scroll down to Wed, 8/15/01...
Tuesday Nov 1, 2005 - Breakfast
Naturally, I didn't get cream at the store last night, so I stopped in at Madrona Hill Cafe on Greely. Large coffee to go. They use the tasty beans of Stumptown. Unbeatable.
Alma, chicken. She is a picky cat, and only likes a handful of flavors (Chicken, ocean fish, beef, and the occasional surprise).
My first day back in Portland (and don't worry, faithful readers, I will post Thanksgiving trip meals soon...). My flight was horribly delayed, resulting in a 3 hr late arrival at the unsavory time of 1:30 AM. SF was SUPER nice, met me at the airport, and gave me a ride home.
