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.