Food+Drink

2014_may_june_home-grown-chef_carrie-minns_1

Home Grown Chef: Tomato Canapes

I’ll admit that when someone says, “Let’s get together. My house. Friday,” part of the draw is the wine. It’s true. Almost as equally alluring are the appetizers. I am fortunate to be surrounded by friends who know how to fill a counter with all kinds of scrumptious tidbits. One friend always treats us to bowls of soup—spicy vegetarian, curried pumpkin—and plates of salad with roasted veggies with quinoa, chickpea and feta. Another friend does vegetables, fruit, dips, cheeses and spreads that we layer to create our own tasty bites.

2014_may_june_behind-the-wine-label_blogs_1

Behind the Wine Label

A label is only the surface-level story of the wine. A winemaker’s job, besides making the best wine possible with a given vintage, is often to be the face of the brand. Winemakers attend wine dinners near and far, and participate in market tastings to acquaint potential consumers with their wines. With so many bottles on the shelf to choose from, it’s not easy to develop brand loyalty. Opportunities that allow the winemaker to display his or her personality and create a faithful fan are often what bring people back to the same wines each year. Discovering how a winemaker puts their touch on the wine requires one to look beyond the label on the bottle. 

1859_may_june_garden_to_glass_4

Garden to Glass

Landscape designer Shannon Lester, 39, has spent the past two decades creating landscapes around Oregon. She started in city planning and wetland restoration, and then spent eight years running a landscape design firm with her husband, Andrew, 41.

2014_wine_truth_WCVA_1

The (Wine) Trail of Truth

The ancient Latin phrase in vino veritas, “in wine there is truth,” is particularly relevant for the wine experience in Oregon. Do the North Willamette Wine Trail, take in stellar views of Mt. Hood while sipping internationally recognized, award-winning wines, and discover why this is truly one of the best experiences Oregon offers. photo by Paul Loofburrow   It all awaits on the way to the coast or as a destination in itself. The North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend (April 13-14)  is but one high point in a place that epitomizes the good life in Oregon, and it reaches the height of popularity in spring and summer. It’s all laid out on the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route, a 60-mile drive along winding country roads through the lush Tualatin Valley from Sherwood to Swiss-settled Helvetia. photo by Allison George   This Oregon Scenic Byway showcases Washington County’s embarrassment of…

march-april-2014-elk-cove-story-5

Taste Oregon Wine Pioneers: The Elk Cove Story

Whether you’re falling in love with Oregon’s wild, dramatic landscape for the first time, or you consider it an essential part of who you are, seeing it is one thing. To fully know it, one must taste it. And grapes, or more precisely, wine, is the single best way to do that.

beers_made_by_walking_1

Beers Made By Walking

Imagine “drinkable landscape portraits” of your favorite forests, parks and lakes in Oregon. Would you taste thimbleberry on the Pacific Crest Trail in Ashland? Could you sip the cool blue of Crater Lake? What would the Wildwood Trail in Portland’s Forest Park taste like? One man is bringing that very opportunity to beer enthusiasts across our state with Beers Made By Walking. Challenging local brewers to literally take a hike, Eric Steen connects brewers with local guides to explore regional areas, identify edible and medicinal plants along the trail, and then use the plants as inspiration for a new brew. The beers help raise money for various local, environmental, nonprofits. photo by Eric Steen Roots Organizing events on a situational and freelance basis, Steen started in 2008 with an Art & Beer event at the Portland Art Museum, where he invited Lucky Lab, Lompoc and Laurelwood Breweries to make beer…

2014-march-april-home-grown-chef-carrie-minns-1

Home Grown Chef: Honey Soy-Glazed Chicken

photo by Carrie Minns I AM IN LOVE WITH MY GAS BARBEQUE. I rely on it for large family gatherings as well as quick weeknight meals. Unfortunately, the incessant rain in the winter and spring months makes outdoor grilling less thrilling. So, what’s an Oregonian to do? Quite frankly, stay inside and make friends with her oven. While this honey soy-glazed chicken can be cooked on your grill, it tastes equally delicious baked in the oven. As a bonus, the sweet aroma from the roasting chicken that fills your home will draw family and friends into your kitchen and away from digital screens of all kinds. This dish is optimal with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. You can, however, make it with boneless, skinless breasts. If you do, reduce the cooking time by at least half. I’ve marinated this dish for as little as a couple of hours to more than…

Eqestrian_Wine_Tours_photo_by_Sarah_Hahn

Gifts for Lovers Who Love Wine

It’s always around this time of year that the conversation starts in my house.  What to do about Valentine’s Day? I, like many women, try and pretend that it isn’t important to me, but if the day rolled around and there wasn’t at least a card and a flower picked from some bush, I would probably have my feelings a little hurt. I mean, who doesn’t like to be showered with affection and sometimes roses and champagne?