Saturday, June 18, 2011

Dining Out: Screen Door, Portland OR

Don't write me off just because I've never lived in the South.  I still know good food.  And Portland's version of Southern flair wowed our socks off.

Can you say Chicken and Waffles?
Screen Door on Urbanspoon

Screen Door always had a line.  We kind of avoided it for a while.  Until we realized every place that serves good breakfast in Portland has a line.

Our fabulous food critics flew in from Cali (Whit and Jeff)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Strawberries-n-Cream Dressed with Citrus


Sometimes a simple dessert is the way to go.  But simple doesn't need to be a bore.  I love when a meal looks simple, but the flavor profile surprises you.

Using citrus not only provides a pop to a dish, but it also helps preserve color and freshness.  Strawberry and orange, albeit both tart and tangy, are great roommates.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Turkey Soup with Lemon and Sage

Turkey soup has been up for experiment since last November.  I found my favorite combination.  I knew I wanted to incorporate sage and lemon into the soup to add depth and brightness.  And now here we are in June.  Why in the world post a soup recipe?  La Nina... that's why.

With the weather being an oddity this year, I know Portland is not the only city to be experiencing June gloom, extra rain/snow, and storms.  Even the native Portlanders are losing it.  I have been proudly wearing my Rainbow sandals, grilling fruit and pretending that it's summer.  But let's be honest folks, we've had a few soup days lately.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Roasted Duck with Orange Balsamic Glaze

"Noelle, I've got a proposal.  I'll hunt the bird, you cook it in our kitchen?!" -Keith, best bud from Sacramento and hunter-gatherer.  How can you say no to that?  You don't.

Duck is one of those things I'll order in a restaurant but find intimidating to try on my own.  It's all what you grew up with.  Our Montanan relatives would send us coolers of venison, elk and jerky for Christmas when I was a kid.  I was always a fan of wild game.  But things with feathers carry a different aura about them.  It was time to face it!