Cassoulet- Day 3

Oh yeah, aromas have filled the house. Clovey, porky, garlicy, nutmeggy, duck-fatty goodness. Vegans, beware!

When the duck legs were ready I set about getting the meat picked off the ham hocks, cooking the sausage and crisping up the duck skin. Once that was done, I layered the meats with the beans and into the oven it went- 1 hour at 350 degrees and 3 hours at 250. Low and slow, as they say...

Every once in a while I am to break the bean "crust" that forms

on top of the uncovered cooking vessel. I also must add- as needed- the reserved cooking liquid. I'm afraid to leave the house, as the kitten will devise a way to open the oven door and devour this dish to which I have already devoted approximately 15 hours of labor.

Cassoulet - Day 2

OK, got the duck legs properly marinated and into the slow-cooker, my "technique" for confit. My favorite part of the recipe is the cloves stuck into the head of garlic. When I first read the recipe, I interpreted "cloves" to be the garlic cloves, and kept thinking, "why would I put garlic cloves into a head of garlic cloves?" Ahhhh, now I understand.

While the duck cooks for the next 4 hours, I will get the beans underway with the ham bone and ham hocks, onions & fresh thyme. The beans should be suitably softened for the layering with the meats an stock for the sloooooow cooking* in the oven. I can't wait until the aromas fill the house.

* don't they always tell you to read the recipe all the way through before you begin? I'm so cocky that I believe I am exempt from that step. Well, I learned my lesson... I need to cook the cassoulet in the oven for 3+ hours, then refrigerate it overnight and then cook it for another 3 hours. Looks like another "Cassoulet" post is coming tomorrow.

Cassoulet - Day 1

Since I've taken the week off between Christmas and New Year's and it is unusually cold and windy, what better dish to make than an authentic French cassoulet? I already had the flageolets, lovely celadon and white beans. And I knew how to confit the duck legs, as that has been my obsession since acquiring the Gourmet Today cookbook. I even had some pork belly on hand that I could use to substitute the pork rind. All that was left to get was ham hocks.

So far, so good!

So, with a completed list of ingedients, the first thing I have to do is get the duck legs in the

marinade, as they need to sit for at least 1 day.

With this prep work done, tomorrow I'll be able to confit the duck legs while I pre-cook the beans with the ham hocks, onions & thyme.

Just have to keep those vulture-like felines out of the kitchen...

So pretty, I can't bring myself to eat it.

As L pointed out, I always have neighbors who bring me food. Well, even former neighbors bring me food! I got together with Fo from the old Woodstock neighborhood to go to the opening of the new Max service near my house. Yeah, I'm a total public transit nerd...

Flo brought these gorgeous chanterelles that she had just picked and eggs from her own red hen. The chicken is young and the eggs are very small, which makes them even prettier.

These ingredients are practically crying out to be made into a omelet, but I am paralyzed by the beauty of this food.

Art. Yes I Can...

Made some art. Feels good. Better than spreadsheets, I must say...

Poolio to the Rescue

We had a hell of a heat wave this summer in PDX. A week of 100+ temperatures. L made the most brilliant purchase ever at Freddie's- an inflatable pool. Not just some 3 gallon kiddie affair- this one has a filter! Every weekday evening and all day on the weekends, various groups of people could be found encircling Coolio the Poolio (must name everything), seated upon lawn chairs, beer in hand. We spent a lot of time in Coolio inventing exercises. Best $100 one could have spent.

Hillbilly Holiday

OK, maybe "hillbilly" is a bit classist, but really- if you resent the stereotype then don't perpetuate it.

We went to Betsy & BiCo's to watch, what we were assured was, a neighborhood tradition of professional-grade fireworks. While it was still light, we enjoyed lots of delicious food and were forced to play soccer with Little D. As night fell, things became a bit dangerous.

I must admit, I had a lovely time watching the annual July 4th display. It was very impressive and injuries and property damage notwithstanding, I quite enjoyed myself. Had to keep our wits about you, as at any moment an unsupervised 9-year old might send a rocket headed straight for your knees, but if you maintained enough sobriety one could leap hop and skip out of danger.

Actually, that's how you could distinguish the the natives from the transplants: transplants squeal and run for cover when a fast-moving fireball heads towards them; natives stay seated and simply lift their feet off the ground while shielding their eyes with a beer bottle.

When a rogue missile ignited the patio unbrella of a neighbor who thought it best to leave town for the festivities (but inexplicably left his SUV parked on the street to be covered with debris and scorch marks), the firework criminals created a drunken bucket brigade using a 2-quart pail w/a hole in it. My finger was poised, ready to dial 911.

Miraculously, the fire was extinguished by the teaspoon-full and damage to the absent neighbor's property simply brushed off as July 4th collateral.

Say "Ceviche"

I don't want to make my New England friends and family feel worse about the weather, so if you want to skip this post and save it for some hot, summery day- fine with me.

The glory days of Portland are here: brilliant sun; deep cerulean skies; flowers blooming; birds singing; trees and grass still lushly green; long, slow, golden evenings. Aaaaahhhhhhh. Well, today and the days that follow the temperatures are predicted to go up and up. Right now at Alder Street the thermometer reads 94 degrees.

Wondering what to make for dinner the other evening I thought "ceviche!" and immediately wondered why I don't make it more often. Anyone who loves seafood will enjoy it, and it absolutely could not be more perfect for a hot summer day. All you need is the raw seafood (almost anything works), lime juice and whichever herbs, vegetables and/or seasoning you fancy.

That evening I just got some rockfish and shrimp. After marinating in the lime juice for an hour I added a diced tomato, lots of fresh cilantro, fresh chiles, s & p and EVOO. Done! I'm making it again tonight and I doing salmon, scallops and shrimp. I'll toss some fresh avocado over it just before serving.

Several years ago I was chatting with the 7-year old nephew of a friend. His father was from Ecuador and the boy would visit during the summer. He mostly enjoyed the his time there, but complained about the food. "All they eat is ceviche!" he said in an exasperated tone, "Ceviche for lunch, ceviche for dinner. They even have it for breakfast. They don't even have milk and cereal!"

Children are idiots.

Nana & Foof PDX Tour 2009

I do not mean to ignore the wonderful visit with Nana & Foof. The reason I haven't posted anything was because I made a great DVD and didn't want to post any pictures of videos before they had a chance to view the DVD. So until I can actually drag my ass to the Post Office, this is the only thing you'll get...

This is a picture of the dynamic duo aboard the Portland Spirit, a small cruise boat that plies the waters of the Willamette while providng beautiful views, a fantastic brunch, live entertainment and lots and lots - and I do mean LOTS- of champagne.

Fava Porn

OK, now that we are all caught up, let's get down to business. That business today my dears is fresh, early-summer produce. What? Food again you cry? You bet your ass.

I planted garlic & onions last fall and peas & favas in the early spring. Well, the onions died, the garlic still has a way to go and the peas had to be planted 3 times before it looked like anything would grow.

But the favas. Oh my.

I only planted 5 seeds and all germinated and all are producing. Now

I wish I had filled my small garden plot with just favas. Yesterday I harvested 7 pods and after shelling and peeling, barely ended up with a 1/4 cup. But even from the farmer's market, I have never enjoyed such juicy, green, tender morsels in all my life. I ate them raw with a salty Pecorino di Sole Sardegna, the perfect contrast to my sweet, little harbingers of summer.

Crappy re-cap

Previously on 'Alder Street', our protagonist, Ofa...

took in a litter of kittens born by a feral cat under her house.

celebrated her birthday at progressively down-scale bars.

started a vegetable garden.

went on some amazing hikes in the Columbia Gorge.

reconnected with friends she hasn't seen for 23-26 years.

was notified that her job, as well as thousands of others, could be in jeopardy.

found homes for 2 of the kittens.

Hosted her parents for a week and had a wonderful visit.

was told that her job had been eliminated, but was offered another...phew!

realized that she got demoted a work but has essentially the same job plus more responsibilities...WTF?

had to cancel her July 4th visit to Wardsboro. Very sad.

continues to have very cute haircuts.

Now has 3 cats.

I Want My Babka

Yikes. It's been a while, huh? Work has been insanely demanding and I just don't have any time to write any worthy posts. The only thing I've had time to do is grab the camera and take pictures.

My friends Gretchen and Alison host a monthly brunch. Last month I decided to make a Cinnamon Babka. I've never made one before, but that does not give me pause. Combinations of flour, eggs, butter do not intimidate me in the least. My only misgiving was the fact that my Kitchen Aid stand mixer is broken and I would have to incorporate a lot of butter into a yeast dough by hand. (I hear all the knowledgeable bakers out there groaning...) But considering the weather has been cool, I was undaunted.

I was very happy with the results. I made 2 small loaves, which turned out fragrant, buttery and tender. I froze one and nibbled away at the other this past week. It tasted equally delicious whether it was toasted or not, eaten for breakfast with Stumptown coffee or for dessert with a glass of eiswein.

I wish I could share the recipe, but I can tell you that my recipe was inspired by the following: Dean & DeLuca; Joan Nathan; Epicurious.com; various blogs. Most recipes I found were for Chocolate Babka, so I improvised the filling using brown sugar, freshly ground cinnamon & matzo meal. I will make fastidious notes the next time I take this on- for my own reference more than anything!

Again, I apologize that I can't provide a more exact recipe, but I encourage anyone who has the slightest desire to make a babka, give it a go. It is one of those delicious foods like fava beans, oysters andsweatbreads that are worth the intensity of labor.

By popular demand- Cauliflower!

My Meltdown weight-loss is  utterly dependent upon my diet. I don't mean "diet" in the sense that certain foods are forbidden, but diet according to my definition, which is, "I can eat anything I want as long as I don't go over 1,000 calories a day."

For some people this might not work, as maybe they are more dependent on certain foods, such as fast food or candy, which will rack up the calories to the limit in one 5-minute indulgence. From watching The Biggest Loser, it seems another problem of the obese is that they don't cook and eat too much prepared and processed foods, which I detest.

Luckily for me, as much as I love fat and calorie dense foods like cheese, butter, cream, foie gras, pate, bacon, croissant, etc. Actually, looking at this list I can safely say my food foibles are milk and pig-based.

But I also love so many other whole foods equally, if not more: vegetables, especially cruciferous and greens like chards, collards, and spinach; eggs; whole grains; nuts & seeds; avocados, pears, grapefruit, berries, squash, mushrooms, more and more.

So I have not been feeling deprived at all. Portion control is an issue and so is the decreased wine consumption, but overall I'm having fun inventing amazing, lo-cal meals such as a Shrimp, Avocado, Grapefruit & Watercress Salad w/Sherry Vinegar.

But I've also been referring to some of my old standbys, like the incredibly simple Roasted Cauliflower. There is nothing to it: roast florets in a low oven until they lose moisture and turn into luscious, sweet, chewy-crispy golden nuggets. This dish satisfies my craving for what Miss B and I call the "Brown Crunchy Things." But unlike tater tots, egg rolls, fried mushrooms and other such calorie bombs, this cauliflower dish is loaded with nutrients and fiber- not calories.

Here's how you make it:

• Cut a head (or 2) of cauliflower into 1" florets
• Toss with 1-2 teaspoons EVOO
  and S & P
• Spread onto a baking sheet in 1 layer
• Bake at 300 degrees for approx. 1.5 hours

I used to accompany mine with a dipping sauce made of mayonnaise seasoned with Chipotle Pepper sauce from the can. My Meltdown version can stand on its own or be served with something less fatty, like Trader Joe's Punjab Spinach Sauce.

The cauliflower ultimately reduces down to such a concentrated morsel, that I can easily consume 2 heads in one sitting. But who cares? There are only 144 calories in 1 medium-size head (approx. 1.25lbs) and 57% of the daily recommended amount of fiber.

I'm melting...

So far, so good on the Team Meltdown. With just my 1,000 calorie-a-day plan,

I've lost about 8 lbs. in 10 days. This is without any additional exercise, apart from the occasional brisk walk.

I did get in some quality time outside last weekend, however. It was a bit chilly, but sunny, with a bright blue sky. My initial plan was to take the Max to the west side to hike around Washington Park, but I decided on something closer to home and headed on foot to Mt. Tabor.

Approaching from the East side, I took the stairs, figuring I would get the most intense workout. There are A LOT of stairs.Huffing and puffing I finally made it to the top and found an empty bench and enjoyed the view.

Now really, what better incentive than this?

Alder Street Cafe

Hey all my regular readers! Yeah, I'm talkin' to both of you! I've created another blog called "Alder Street Cafe." Both blogs will intersect, though this will be my primary. Alder Street Cafe will feature food related topics that will be covered here, but may contain more epicurean details, such as recipes and cooking links.

Here is where I need your help. I need a picture for my blog header and I don't know what image- or images- to use. So if you would please vote by adding comments to this post I would very much appreciate it.
The pictures that I am considering are:





Though the cafe is still under construction, I hope to have it beautifully decorated and stimulating your palates very soon.

I really mean it this time!

Getting in shape, that is. So I've gone public, announced it to just about everyone I know and I'm participating in the 2009 Team Meltdown at work. It's like The Biggest Loser, but with way smaller contestants. I could win cash money if I lose enough! It's only been a week, but I think I've already lost 4-5 pounds.

The most helpful tool in my weight loss so far has been my phone. (I know you're rolling your eyes now, so quit it.) There is an app called 'Lose It!' that you can record your daily meals and exercise and it gives you your calorie "budget." If I want to eat more food, then I have to go for a run to expand the budget. I haven't lost interest yet, and this bodes well.

The second most helpful tool has been the TEAM MELTDOWN wrist band they gave me at weigh-in. It allows the contestants special deals like classes, personal trainers, dieticians, etc. I just wear it as a reminder. That, plus the fact that I told at least a hundred people at work that I was going to win and if I weighed the same at the end of the 10 weeks I deserve to be ridiculed.

The Labyrinth

It did seem rather mystical. We were greeted by 2 bald eagles, soaring and dipping just overhead. The trails initially seemed aimless, wandering here there and everywhere. But we stuck to them and then realized their hidden logic.

We descended into oak groves teeming with wintering chickadees and nuthatches and ascended to high, barren hillsides supporting columnar basalt edifices made by earth, not man.We startled some deer on a distant hillside. Flinchy creatures that they are, they took off the moment we were detected. The funny thing was, they stuck to the manmade footpath. Deer are weird like that...

When we stopped for lunch, I sat upon a log with a thick cushion of moss. It was very soft and comfortable.

We encountered vigorous streams and creeks, all easily crossed. The most frightening moment was when we traversed a hill on a very narrow footpath (10"?) with a steep, uninterrupted 500' drop to our left. I have a fear of heights that has increased over the years, and though my companions were quite happy to walk along as homo sapiens, I hobbled and gimped, leaning into the hill and supporting myself with my left hand, clinging to the up-hill side of the incline, inching along like an orangutan with a stroke. Me so pretty.

We found several art installations consisting of animal bones along the trail. At first they seemed disturbing, but I quickly realized they were both beautiful and ruthless. To whomever took the time to craft them, I say "Thank you".