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Juicy roasted lamb leg garnished with fresh rosemary and edible flowers, served on a black platter. Perfect for gourmet dining and special occasions.

3 Must-Try Lamb Recipes from Portland Chefs

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Rosemary Marinade Ox Restaurant / PORTLAND Greg Denton, chef/owner (2017 James Beard Award, Best Chef, Pacific Northwest) Recipe from Around the Fire: Recipes for Inspired Grilling and Seasonal Feasting from Ox Restaurant SERVES 4 Ingredients: Instructions: Lamb Empanadas with Citrus, Dates and Mint LaChona Empanadas y Vinos Argentinos / PORTLANDAmy Fuertes Mulé, owner and chef MAKES APPROXIMATELY 14 EMPANADAS Ingredients: Instructions: Fork-Tender Lamb Shanks Alan Hanson SERVES 4-6 Ingredients: Instructions: Chef’s note: If desired, when the meat is cool enough to handle, cut it off the bones and coarsely chop. Discard the fat and bones. Stir meat into the onion-broth mixture along with the Kalamata olives. Serve as directed above.

A bowl of creamy clam chowder garnished with herbs, accompanied by fresh bread and a pot of clams, showcasing a comforting seafood dish from Oregon.

Oregon Coast Clam Chowder Recipe

written by Thor Erickson | photography by Tambi Lane “RUN FASTER!” our 8-year-old son, Jahn, yelled. “It’s not working!” “You can do it!” my wife, Cathy, cheered as the waves crashed behind us. I ran down the beach as fast as I could. Rain was coming in sideways. The wind gusted so hard it lifted sand into the air, stinging my face and filling my mouth with salt. It was spring break on the Oregon Coast, and we were trying—against all better judg-ment—to fly a kite. After a few more attempts, our cheerfully colored kite took a beating, pelted from the gray sky by wind, rain and sand. It never stood a chance. Eventually, we let it go, laughing as it collapsed onto the beach like a bright idea humbled by weather. We had planned this trip for weeks. We’d recently purchased a vintage Volkswagen EuroVan and were excited to…

Wine rack with gallery rails for storing bottles and glasses in a stylish home bar. Features multiple horizontal rails and a decorative background, ideal for wine enthusiasts and interior design.

DIY Wine Rack with Gallery Rails

written by Melissa Dalton | illustration by Allison Bye This project is an attractive way to display your wine bottles. It uses a basic floating shelf design and adds a decorative backing board for stabilization, as well as gallery rails. The rails ensure the bottles don’t roll off the shelves. The best part of this project is that it’s a template for your own personal style. For instance, if the slat application described here is too modern, the backing decoration could be wallpaper or a nice stained wood. Depending on the hardware purchased, the gallery rails could be brass or a colored metal. 1. PREPARE THE BACKING BOARD Instead of attaching the shelves directly to the wall, they will be attached to a backing board for support, using ¾” plywood. Cut the plywood to size, about 20 inches wide by 30 inches tall. These dimensions can be tweaked to your…

An eerie image of Bigfoot in a dense forest, illuminated by sunlight filtering through tall trees, capturing the legendary creature in its natural habitat.

Indigenous Perspectives Redefine Bigfoot in New OPB Film

A new documentary from OPB shares Indigenous stories revealing Sasquatch as sacred protector interview by Cathy Carroll Long before Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, became a pop-culture icon, Indigenous peoples have viewed the mythical creature as a revered relative. They see Bigfoot not as a monster but as a protector—a spiritual being who teaches humans to respect and care for the earth. In Guardian of the Land, Emmy-nominated director LaRonn Katchia (Warm Springs, Wasco and Paiute) weaves oral histories about Bigfoot sightings and stories through the work of four leading contemporary Indigenous artists and thought leaders. The twenty-four-minute film from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) takes viewers on a sensory journey through the Nch’i-Wána, or Columbia River lands, where Indigenous cultures believe Bigfoot has long cast a watchful eye over them. How did it feel to reclaim that narrative of Sasquatch cinematically, and how did Indigenous oral histories shape your visual…

Spacious interior featuring comfortable seating, natural light, and a seamless connection to the outdoor landscape, embodying new horizons in home design.

Willamette Valley Winemakers Remodel Historic Vineyard Home

After twenty years in their beloved home, these Willamette Valley winemakers crafted a remodel to befit their next steps written by Melissa Dalton | photography by George Barberis/Green Hammer Adam Campbell grew up among the vines. His parents, Pat and Joe Campbell, are the founders of Elk Cove Vineyards, planting their first grapes in 1974 on a property in Gaston. “Growing up there with my parents, it was an all-hands-on-deck family business,” said Adam, and he has the old family photos to prove it. They show him, along with his four siblings, doing things like watering the plants, crushing grapes and helping out every summer well into their adolescence. It’s no wonder then, that by 1995, Adam was hooked on the winemaking business, and officially joined the company. Ten years later, when it came time to buy a house with his wife, Caroline, they picked a historic vineyard ten minutes…

A family and friends gather around a backyard fire pit, roasting marshmallows and enjoying a warm evening outdoors. The scene highlights outdoor living, fire pit construction, and socializing in Orego.

How to Build a Backyard Fire Pit

written by Melissa Dalton | illustration by Chamisa Kellogg In 1977, an architectural handbook called A Pattern Language decreed: “There is no substitute for fire. Build the fire in a common space … where it provides a natural focus for talk and dreams and thought.” While this refers to an indoor fireplace, we can also apply it to the backyard. Here are our tips to build an outdoor fire pit—a surprisingly easy weekend project when you have the right materials. 1 PICK A SPOT Before starting, always check local regulations about what is allowed in your jurisdiction. General guidelines are wide-ranging, and suggest a spot anywhere from 10 to 25 feet away from any structures or trees. Make sure there is a water source close at hand, the ground is level and utilities have been identified before digging. 2 CHOOSE THE SIZE, SHAPE AND MATERIALS At minimum, the pit should…

Close-up of poached eggs on toast with fresh vegetables, including tomatoes and greens, served on a rustic plate with a bowl of eggs and a salad in the background.

How to Make the Perfect Poached Egg

written by Thor Erickson | photography by Tambi Lane It was a cold January morning washed in frozen fog—formed after warm air rode up over the Cascade Range and settled above colder air, trapping it like a blanket of hollandaise sauce. The ponderosa pines outside leaned into it, quiet and contemplative, waiting to see whether the sun was going to bother showing up. Standing in my kitchen, staring at the coffee maker as it bubbled away, it hit me—it’s time for a poached egg. After a shot of caffeine, I gathered the necessary tools—a large pot, a slotted spoon, an instant-read thermometer and a small cup. A friend whose hens lived lives of enviable luxury had just given me a dozen fresh eggs. Once I cooked them in perfectly heated water, white vinegar and salt, these beautiful brown orbs would make the perfect breakfast. As I prepared to poach my…

Prime rib roast seasoned with herbs and spices, cooking in a skillet.

Beef, Three Ways

Chuck Roast with Elotes Painted Hills Natural Beef / FOSSIL Gabrielle Homer SERVES 8 Ingredients: FOR THE CHUCK ROAST FOR THE CORN Instructions: FOR THE CHUCK ROAST FOR THE CORN TO SERVE Wagyu Meatballs with Dijon Cream Sauce and Herbs Bistro Alder, Dossier Hotel / PORTLAND Chef Benjamin Waterman MAKES 9 MEATBALLS Ingredients: Instructions: Cold-Sear Rib Eye Steak or Strip Loin Chef Leif Benson, Oregon’s Culinary Ambassador SERVES 1 EACH Ingredients: Instructions:

A woman smiling outdoors in natural light, representing resilience and personal growth, aligning with themes of self-discovery and transformation in Oregon.

Unfixed: Finding Meaning Through Illness

Memoir and media platform reframe upheaval and illness as a doorway to radical love and meaning interview by Cathy Carroll Kimberly Warner’s newly released memoir, Unfixed, traces her quest for wholeness after confronting long-buried family truths, New Age self-improvement dogma and the perfectionism that shaped her. After developing a rare neurological disorder in 2015, the filmmaker began creating award-winning films, limited series, podcasts, memoirs and live roundtables. Her work, a space where adversity becomes a source of creative intelligence and philosophical insight, has been recognized by PBS, Harvard Medical School and the Invisible Disabilities Association, among others. She lives on a farm in North Plains, west of Portland. What felt most urgent for you to explore in your book, film and audio work? In 2018, still staggering from a rare neurological disorder that left me with unrelenting vertigo, I sat down at my husband’s computer with the urgency of someone…