Good Potato Salad (it's all about the salsa!)

My dad would always request mom's "Taaate-a" salad.  He's not from the south or anything, but his father grew up in North "Caroliiiiine-a" so I guess that's where we got it from.  While the recipe is nothing southern, it is the best, HANDS DOWN, potato salad I've ever had to this day.

Pork Sandwich with Homemade BBQ Sauce

In the mood for a killer sandwich?  Tired of chicken?  PORK... so good.

And who knew BBQ sauce could be so easy?  I literally just pulled these items out of my pantry.

But first, the meat.  I had a 2-3 pound piece of pork shoulder, bone out and bound up.

Thanks to a little help from Tyler Florence's Pulled Pork Recipe (same ingredients, but to my liking), I was off like a chef on espresso, and so excited!  That is...

Back In Action: Alaskan Cruise Eating Highlights and Inspiration

  

Hello out there.  I have been VERY busy with work and summer activities.  To cap it all off Chris and I just returned from a fabulous Alaskan Cruise with our friends and family.  I know, it's our first summer in Portland and where do we choose to go?  But it was a week to remember.  Such beauty, nature and of course good food and drink!

Here's a little taste of our week, and I promise that

Dining Out: Pine State Biscuits, Portland OR

As I'm typing this, a young black lab is staring me down with a soggy tennis ball.  We've been pet-sitting all week off of Belmont for some friends.  Needless to say, food writing and photography has not been the priority.  Dog walks, treats, and puppy kisses have taken precedent.  More tasty recipes coming soon (lots of summer picnic dishes).  Until then, a little dining out in this South East neighborhood.

We first heard about Pine State back in Sacramento while watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri.

Pork Gyros with Tangy Greek Yogurt Sauce

This was a delicious hit.  Easy.  Tangy.  Healthy.  Meaty.  Full of veggies.  Thank you Bobby Flay.

I tweaked Flay's recipe a bit: using parsley instead of dill, adding the zest of the cucumber to the sauce and cupped the goodness with whole wheat pita bread.