A Kick-Off to Farmers Market Season and Fresh Beginnings
It’s about this time of year when I realize that the sun has returned to the Northwest, even if inconsistently.
Food+Drink
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.
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.
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.
Brioche Traditionnelle Au Chocolate
Brioche Traditionnelle Au Chocolate recipe from the Sparrow Bakery in Bend, Oregon.
Croque Monsieur
A delicious croque monsieur recipe from Ken Forkish of Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Portland.
Watercress Egg Salad Sandwiches
A fresh twist on egg salad sandwiches from Blue Scorcher in Astoria.
Northwest Food and Drink Pairings
If you’ve been to an Oregon restaurant that serves Pacific Northwest cuisine, your waiter likely suggested you pair your meal with one of the many local craft brews or Oregon wines. Do you recall the wonderful flavors abound in the pairing, but can’t quite replicate it at home? Use this helpful 1859 guide to Northwest food and libation pairing made easy:
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.
