Food+Drink

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7 Tips to Usher in Grilling Season

With Memorial Day behind us, grilling season has officially begun. With Fourth of July—arguably the biggest barbecuing day of the year—just a few weeks away, here are my tips for preparing the grill and getting into the barbecuing mindset.

Clean the grill. With a stiff wire brush, scrape hardened food off your grates. Wash them with warm, soapy water. Scrape down the sides of your grill with a spatula. Change the grease pan. Make sure your propane tank is full or you have a fresh stock of briquettes.
Just like produce, use good quality, in-season meat and seafood.

General guidelines for fresh, pastured meat and wild-caught seafood:
Spring—lamb, shrimp
Summer—chicken, pork, halibut, shrimp, salmon
Fall—tuna, turkey, salmon, shrimp
Winter—lamb, beef

 

Season with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil at least an hour in advance for meats, and 30 minutes in advance for seafood.
Pull your meat out of the fridge at least 20 minutes prior grilling to take the chill off and ensure even grilling.
Always start fish flesh side down. Do not flip until 2/3 through cooking time. When finished, slip a spatula between skin and flesh. Fish will slide right off the skin and on to your platter.
Take your meat and seafood off the grill just before they are completely cooked. Let them rest for a bit before serving. They will finish cooking off the grill and the juices will have a chance to redistribute.
Keep your side dishes “summer simple.” Thick-sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt. Baby greens tossed with Dijon vinaigrette. Thick slices of Pugliese bread served with softened goat cheese. Vanilla ice cream with berries.

First up on my list to grill is a fillet of sockeye salmon, steamed artichokes on the side and strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert. I had better start scrubbing my grill. See you outside!

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Nerves of Iron

I hadn’t watched an actual “Iron Chef” show in years and couldn’t remember what was expected from the judges. Arriving at the Portland Art Museum, I grabbed a glass of wine and wandered around like a middle school kid unprepared to give a speech in class that day.

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Rosés in Bloom

With Mothers Day just around the corner, I would like to informally suggest a new tradition in gift giving. Instead of the usual bouquet of flowers that wilt too quickly or a plant that needs loads of care, why not celebrate the wife, mother, grandmother, surrogate mother, mother-in-law or god-mother in your life with a bottle of rosé wine. Or, better yet, a bouquet of rosés.

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Take a Stand with a New Kind of Keg

In the late 1700s, locksmith—and hydraulic engineer—Joseph Bramah patented an invention called the beer engine, a device used for pumping beer out of a cask. Today we know this as the keg, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that the pressurized beer keg was perfected, and thanks to the keg stands of the 1978 movie Animal House, became mainstream. Flash forward to today’s keg and you will find that the iconic barrel stands for libations other than just beer.
Oregon wineries such as Grochau Cellars, Crowley Wines and Stoller Vineyards have been working towards perfecting the craft of keg wines, mostly at the direct request of restaurants. More and more tap handles in dining establishments are dispensing not only frothy cold beer but red, white and pink wine.

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The Next Generation of Oregon Winemakers

Armed with little more than research about soils and a vision of a Burgundian Oregon, the pioneers of Oregon’s wine industry planted vines and the hope that they would create a life they could, one day, share with their kids.

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1859 & Dine: Oregon’s Best Burgers

1859 anonymously searches for Oregon’s best burger at Mutiny Brewing Company, Little Bird Bistro, Cornucopia and Elements Tapas.

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On Leavened Ground

It’s 4 a.m. The aroma of fresh bread comes from flaming ovens. Buttery croissants are rolled, cut and shaped by hand at Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Portland. An hour later, the sweet smell of fresh baguette dough wafts past four bakers in jeans, t-shirts and aprons, their heads down, their floured hands dividing and shaping smooth, long loaves. The oven door clanks as the bread goes in.