New Favorite Sides Part I: Hasselback Potatoes

A perfect day.  Just us.  Special trips to the store for ingredients.  Lots of time to cook.  A great bottle of wine.  And getting a good night sleep.

We were given some great quality sirloin strips.  AND Chris fixed our grill!  I can't believe how long we waited to fix it.  Chris is back to his manly self. :-)  I wanted to round off the perfect steak with a few sides, but not just any sides.

Dining Out: Food Cart- Fernando's Mundo Fiesta, Portland OR

The Food Cart Revolution.  Food on wheels has been around for years, especially on the streets of major cities.  It may seem a little odd, but that's why their presence is renowned in Portland.

They are everywhere.  Hundreds of them adorn the neighborhoods here.  Food for cheap: fast, meat or meatless, on a stick or in a bowl, wrapped up, fancy, and from around the world.  It's a beautiful thing.

http://www.foodcartsportland.com/

Chicken Noodle Soup with Cheese Tortellini

All my Californian loved ones have been texting me all week.  "It's POURING here, how's the weather for you?"  "Being washed away, all the way to Oregon!"  So as we continue to receive Spring showers, our dear friends and family are getting dumped on as well.  Thought we could all use a piping hot bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.

Scott (Chris' brother) and his wife Carrie came in last night to visit us for the weekend.  What better way to kick off a wet weekend than with a little warm comfort food.

"Chris' Surprise" a.k.a. Perfect Eggs on Toast

Our first morning back from our honeymoon back in 2007, Chris set out to make me breakfast.

"Whatcha makin' me?" I asked.

"Surprise..." he said with a boyish grin.

I trusted him with breakfast that morning, and he's been sworn in as breakfast man ever since.

Eggs on toast became known as Chris' Surprise after that first day as a married couple in our own home.  The funny thing is, it's not a surprise any longer, but we still call it that.

$999 Salsa: With Roasted Corn and Artichoke

So after all the hub-bub about my romance with tomatoes, I'm taking a turn.  A salsa WITHOUT tomatoes?! I was more curious than anything.  A family friend gave me this recipe in my "bridal shower recipe box."  I really need to go through some of those.  Everyone put their best foot forward.  A real treasure of a gift, didn't know it at the time.

The title on the card said: ARTICHOKE AND CORN SALSA (CAROL'S $1000 RECIPE).  I'm pretty sure I remember a story about prize money being involved.  But that's a lot for salsa!  ... even more curiosity brewing.

Dining Out: Papa Haydn, Portland OR

27th birthday.  Movie matinée.  Happy hour on the river front.  Then dessert at a "surprise destination."

Down on NW 23rd, beaming in the middle of draping white lights for miles is Pearl District's Papa Haydn.

Pink Grapefruit Vinaigrette On Spring Greens

I just love when grapefruit are in season.  Like any other citrus, you can get them anytime of year, but when they are in season- they are phenomenal!  I like them big, bad and bold.  Such a unique fruit.  When I'm not dusting a large half with a touch of sugar for breakfast, they'll find their way into other dishes.  Why not salad!

I researched a few different takes on using the juice in a vinaigrette.  After combining a few of the ideas, here's my own version.  So sweet, tangy and fresh.  Perfect for Spring being right around the corner!

Easy Spanish Eggs

These days, I only make breakfast on the weekends.  Monday through Friday, I'm bumbling around while Chris whips up either steel cut oats or an egg dish and puts the coffee on.  One more reason I'm so thankful for him.

Every now and then it's good to switch up "the usual."  I called my mother to recall a faint memory of her version of Spanish eggs.  Apparently just early that day, my dad had requested the same dish?!  Miles apart, our taste buds still speak the same language AND at the same time?!

The Ritter Burg

We've always been fans of making our burgers from scratch.  So much better that way.  I've learned a few tricks along the way too.

You can pile anything you'd like on yours, but we love experimenting with different cheeses, onions, and greens.  Plus, the real beauty with these burgers is in the ingredients, not just the toppings.

50th Post! Whipped Cream a la Port and Dark Chocolate

My 50th post?!  This calls for a celebratory and EMBARRASSINGLY SIMPLE recipe.

A client asked me about Portland Palates today: "where do I find the time?"

I guess I've always been like my dad in this way.  Every 5-10 years (he has a little more experience than I) we discover a new hobby that we devote ourselves to and fall in love with.  For him it went: triathlon, country music, roses, wine, travel, and my latest prediction is photography (you should see the text pics he sends me on his less than impressive flip phone.)  Our hobbies don't die off, but just expand to new and different, while still staying loyal to the old.