Category: Wine

2010 Memorial Day Weekend Willamette Valley Wine Tour

2010 Memorial Day Weekend Willamette Valley Wine Tour

Every year on the weekends around Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, vineyards and winemakers in the Willamette Valley invite the public to taste their latest wines in their cellars or tasting rooms. Many of these are boutique wineries that cannot operate tasting rooms year ’round, so this is your chance to discover newer and smaller producers.

Wine tasting ranks almost as high as outdoor activities in Oregon and it does get you out in nature, too, off the main roads and into the rolling hills of the vineyards.

Jun 06, 2010 | 4 comments View Post
Willamette Valley Vineyards Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir Contest

Willamette Valley Vineyards Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir Contest

For those of you who love Oregon Pinot Noir but have never been here, now’s your chance. One of our favorite wineries, Willamette Valley Vineyards, is sponsoring the “Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir Contest”.
All you have to do is tell them why you love Oregon Pinot Noir in approximately 100 words. The contest deadline is June 30. The writer of the best response, chosen by the winery staff, will win a trip for two to Oregon Wine Country. Read our blog post for a link to their contest.

May 07, 2010 | 0 comments View Post
King Estate — A Jewel in Oregon’s Crown

King Estate — A Jewel in Oregon’s Crown

The beautiful rolling hills around the Lorane Valley south of Eugene may not be as well known outside of Oregon as the Willamette Valley to the north is, with its name made synonymous with the rise of Oregon Pinot Noir, but it’s the home of America’s leading producer of premium Pinot Gris, King Estate. 
Unlike a [...]

Nov 10, 2009 | 3 comments View Post
The Stuff of Pork – These Little Piggies Are Full of Fall Flavor

The Stuff of Pork – These Little Piggies Are Full of Fall Flavor

My inspiration for this post was simply a desire to braise some pork in the wonderful cider from Wandering Aengus Ciderworks in Salem. I settled on combining some ingredients and methods from the recipe mentioned in the previous paragraph with another for Stuffed Pork Chops with Roasted Apples and Calvados from Saveur Magazine. Amazingly, all the ingredients came from Oregon.

Oct 26, 2009 | 0 comments View Post
Vhat's the Wurst Thing You Can Do with Seafood? Seafood Sausage

Vhat’s the Wurst Thing You Can Do with Seafood? Seafood Sausage

My inspiration to make a seafood sausage came from a cookbook I purchased many years ago called Spa Food, by Edward J. Safdie, a beautiful pictorial book with recipes from The Sonoma Mission Inn. In there is a photo and recipe for their Seafood Sausage which is described as “a delicate sole mousse mixed with fresh herbs, diced seafood and sautéed greens.” Other than the preparation method, that’s all I needed to take off on my own.

Oct 19, 2009 | 4 comments View Post
Crater Lake – A Feast for the Eyes, Sustenance for the Soul, and Palate-Pleasing Wild Food

Crater Lake – A Feast for the Eyes, Sustenance for the Soul, and Palate-Pleasing Wild Food

Upon deciding to write an article about Crater Lake and the food we enjoyed there, I knew I wanted to locate some huckleberries, even though the season had just passed. I called D Loos, the produce manager at the Roth’s Vista Market here in Salem, to see if he could help. I told him I needed only a quart. D returned my call promptly and said I could have my huckleberries tomorrow afternoon. Great news! We’re having huckleberry pie this weekend.

When I was notified that my prize had arrived, I ecstatically went to fetch them. (Note to self: Always ask the price when placing a special order. My pie filling was going to cost me $13.99 a pound. Ouch!)

Oct 11, 2009 | 10 comments View Post
Mozzarella Tarantella for "La Nozze di Foglie di Salvia"

Mozzarella Tarantella for “La Nozze di Foglie di Salvia”

My “Sage and Mozzarella Sandwich” began to take shape quite a few years ago. I was thumbing through The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli. I became fascinated with a recipe titled Foglie di Salvia Ripieno or “little sage sandwiches.” I imagined Catherine de’ Medici serving these little packages at one of her repasts in France. And by the way, her personal chefs inspired the beginnings of French cuisine as we know it today.

Sep 14, 2009 | 4 comments View Post
Fresh from the Ocean...to a Table near You: Rockfish en papillote

Fresh from the Ocean…to a Table near You: Rockfish en papillote

 
The one thing that I quickly learned from Oregon natives after moving here is you can’t let the weather deter you. The weather in Salem or Portland can be nice and sunny, but by the time you get to the coast an hour to the west, it can be blustery and rainy. You just have [...]

Sep 08, 2009 | 6 comments View Post
Oregon Is for Nuts! Hazelnuts

Oregon Is for Nuts! Hazelnuts

Some years ago The Commonwealth of Virginia launched a tourism slogan declaring “Virginia Is for Lovers.” With tongue in cheek and not to be outdone, Maryland promoted “Maryland Is for Crabs.” Since almost all the hazelnuts in the USA are grown in Oregon, one could infer that “Oregon Is for Nuts.” As a matter of fact, the noble hazelnut was declared the state nut in 1989.

Aug 23, 2009 | 5 comments View Post
Is There Such a Thing as a "Dull" Weekend in Oregon? Never!

Is There Such a Thing as a “Dull” Weekend in Oregon? Never!

When we first moved here from Baltimore more than 6 years ago, it was the middle of winter. In Oregon, that means days and days of drizzle. I think that December I counted 30 days of rain in a row. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll take 30 days of drizzle in the winter over stretches [...]

Aug 23, 2009 | 0 comments View Post
Salmon Chanted Evening, or A Fish Tale — Catching and Smoking Wild Salmon

Salmon Chanted Evening, or A Fish Tale — Catching and Smoking Wild Salmon

There were lulls in the morning, with no bites, but we were often treated to schools of iridescent and brilliantly hued jellyfish. Some were tiny and others had tentacles trailing several feet. It was an impressive show. An even more stunning show was the ever-changing and colorful dawn viewed from offshore.

Aug 16, 2009 | 10 comments View Post
The Joys of Julie & Julia, and Oregon

The Joys of Julie & Julia, and Oregon

 
My partner and co-author of this blog, Charles Price, and I last weekend joined the throngs of Baby Boomers at the theater to watch Julie & Julia and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Of course, Charles owns both volumes of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” He notes that he scored both of them at used book [...]

Aug 13, 2009 | 4 comments View Post