Food+Drink

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Three Oregon Restaurants Share Charcuterie Recipes

Elevation Restaurant at the Cascade Culinary Institute Bend | elevationbend.com __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bacon Beignets with Roasted Shallot Maple Vinaigrette Makes 15-20 servings | total time: 1 hour + 6-8 hours Bacon Beignet Batter Ingredients: 1 cup lukewarm whole milk, warmed to 105°F 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 1/2 cups pastry flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large egg whites, room temperature 1 cup bacon cooked and finely chopped, approx. 12 slices Oil for deep frying Directions: Place warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar and yeast; whisk to dissolve sugar. Cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Add flour and salt; whisk until smooth. Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Add to batter and whisk until smooth. Fold in bacon bits. Scrape down sides of bowl, allowing batter to pool at…

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Not Your Childhood Hot Chocolate

As a kid, hot chocolate didn’t do much for me. I realize that seems un-Americana. What could be more reminiscent of childhood winters than a steaming hot cup of cocoa, topped with whipped cream and stirred with a peppermint stick? Well, I was the kid who found that whole concoction rather cloying. I preferred my chocolate dark and in bar-form.

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Biodynamic Wines in Oregon

Biodynamic farming is a mysterious beast, and many people in the agricultural world file it away as an old wives’ tale. However, there are a growing number of Oregon farmers—especially in the winegrowing community—who consider biodynamics to be the holistic path to healthy farms, a greener world and better products.
Though considered a recent movement inOregon, biodynamic viticulture is nothing new. For thousands of years, farmers have made farming decisions based on the phases of the moon, stars and planets. These farming practices have been passed down by generations and refined to what we now call biodynamic farming.

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Harvest Hands: The Winery

It would be remiss of me to talk about my experience as a harvest intern without also talking about the place and the people that made that experience possible, Wine by Joe and Joe Dobbes Family Estate. Proprietor, president and winemaker, Joe Dobbes, gave me the opportunity to tell my story. Now, I’ll tell you his—and it’s a good one.
Dobbes started his winery in 2002 with $50,000. In his first vintage he produced 2,000 cases of wine. In 2011, he made over 45,000 cases between his three brands. In the last few years, Dobbes has seen great achievement and growth, but he is the first to admit that it hasn’t been overnight success. In fact, he has been at it for a nearly a quarter century.

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Feel-Good Blueberry Smoothie

I can admit it. I survived the holidays thanks (in part) to a little beverage we call coffee. I went from my normal one cup per day, to two, even three cups a day in order to get it all done. And I did, for the most part, get it all done.
Here I sit at the first of the New Year, and all of that “hurry-up and get it done” busyness of the holidays has disappeared—leaving a handful of spare time in its wake. I’m also left re-evaluating the need for 3 cups of coffee a day. I love the ritual of it—the warm mug cradled in my hands, the rich smell of the dark liquid mixed with a little cream, and the desire it instills in me to curl up on the couch and read.
But, there are times when I am reminded of some advice I was once given, “When you really pay attention, how does your body actually feel when you drink that beverage or eat that food?”
Honestly, I can say that anything past one small cup of coffee doesn’t actually feel that great. My stomach isn’t thrilled with the extra acid and my already ramped up Type-A body could do without the extra adrenaline. That’s not to say that I will give up coffee. No, I love the ritual too much, but after the excessive indulging of the holidays, I feel inclined to be kind to my body.
Occasionally, I whip up a smoothie that never fails to make my body feel energized. The ritual isn’t the same as coffee. There’s a list of ingredients. There’s the noise from the blender. There’s the fact that the beverage is cold and I loathe being cold. But, my body loves it. I can actually feel my mind sending out little messages of elation to the far extremities of my body as I drink down the grape purple concoction.
I’m not sure why I don’t make it more often. Perhaps it comes down to the choice between cleaning the coffee pot and cleaning the blender, and I choose coffee pot. Whatever it is, I plan to use a bit of my newfound time to make my energizing smoothie more often.

 
Feel Good Blueberry Smoothie
My kids love this smoothie. They have no idea there’s a handful of spinach in there. Hopefully, they won’t read this.
Ingredients:
1 cup orange juice
1 banana, broken into chunks
a handful of spinach, approx. 1 cup
¼ cup plain or Greek yogurt (optional)
1 tbsp honey
a shake of cinnamon
1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
1 cup ice
Put the ingredients into your blender in the order listed above. Blend until smooth. Pour into 2 large glasses or 4 small ones. Drop in a straw. Drink and be energized!

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Best Happy Hour

Winner: Porters, Medford The happy hour at Porters Restaurant and Bar is a doozy. Located in the 1910-era, extensively renovated passenger train depot, this American classic is must-see on any stopover in Medford. Snag a stool at the old ticket counter (a.k.a. bar) or find a table on the patio in summer and order a drink and one of the daily specials. The popular “Get Giddy for 3 Fiddy” (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close) features a full bar and twenty food items, from $2.50 for bistro garlic fries to $3.95 for a chicken Caesar wrap or Oregon mac and cheese. Get a dollar off any beer and wine on tap during “Tappy Hour,” from 9 p.m. to close. Runner-Up: 23 Hoyt, Portland Slip into this hip neighborhood eatery on Northwest 23rd Street for a welcome break from the day’s activities. The happy hour menu at…

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Best Beer

Winner: Ninkasi Total Domination IPA Ninkasi has gone from zero to 100,000 barrels in six years, with that number expected to triple in the next eighteen months. The first batch of Ninkasi’s Total Domination IPA hit the market in 2006, and since then, beer lovers have been lapping up the hoppy brew. The Brewers Association, a trade group that tracks industry trends, named Eugene-based Ninkasi the fastest growing regional brewery in the country in 2011. Total Domination along with Believer Double Red Ale, Tricerahops Double IPA and Oatis Oatmeal Stout are on tap or in bottles throughout the West. Ninkasi does not have a brewpub but visitors are welcome in its tasting room for a pint and bites from visiting food carts. Runner-Up: Boneyard RPM IPA In beer-soaked Bend, Boneyard got started by recycling other brewers’ cast-off equipment. Two-plus years later, the brewery can’t keep up with demand and “our…

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Best Wine

Winner: Rex Hill Reserve Pinot Noir A landmark winery in the northern Willamette Valley, Rex Hill passed in 2007 from its founders to A to Z Wineworks, which now makes all its wines—sourced from vineyards throughout Oregon—at the Rex Hill facility. With Rex Hill labeled-wines, the new owners slashed case production, introduced sustainable farming and winemaking practices, and brought a renewed commitment to strengthening the brand. Despite difficult weather patterns during the 2010 growing season and bird damage, the Reserve Pinot noir, a blend of five vineyards, sold out quickly at the winery; some bottles may still be available in wine shops. The winery (rexhill.com) welcomes visitors in its historic tasting room in Newberg; tastings are $10 and refundable with a $40 purchase. Runner-Up: Arborbrook 2010 Vintner’s Select Pinot Noir If you want a bottle of ArborBrook’s 2010 Vintner’s Select Pinot noir, you’ll have to hurry. Since 2005, the Newberg…

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Best Destination Restaurant

Winner: Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City Oregon’s only oceanfront brewery, the Pelican Pub & Brewery has taken craft beer and pub fare to new heights. Brewmaster Darron Welch’s talent for crafting fine ales has earned the Pelican many awards—Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival, Champion Large Brewpub at the World Beer Cup, and two gold and two silver medals recently from the European Beer Star in Munich, Germany. Located on the beach at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, the Pelican Brewery serves food for every palette, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Order the pale-malt crusted salmon and pair it with a MacPelican Scottish Ale or try the veggie burger made with spent grains from the brewing process. A portion of revenues from Pelican’s newest brew, Silverspot IPA, will help to save the endangered Oregon Silverspot butterfly. On warm days, dine on the patio and savor the…