On the trail of great food in Portland Oregon - part three

Breakfast at Pine State Biscuits

Another day, a few more pounds.  Which we then walked off!

This is "The Chatfield" -  biscuit, fried chicken, bacon, cheese, apple butter

Much much much later in the day...

Affogato Gelato with Simon, the owner

Coconut (toasted!) and chocolate chip gelato

Blueberry and lavender gelato

When words just aren't enough...

...say it with bacon.

On the trail of great food in Portland Oregon - part two

It's a miracle that we didn't gain weight on this trip!

Jam on Hawthorne
Breakfast wrap with homemade lamb sausage, eggs, arugula, tomatoes, goat cheese

Hallah french toast, grand Marnier dipped, fruit compote

Pink Harley-Davidson coffee mug

Oatmeal-chai blueberry pancakes

Bella Sunrise - spinach with eggs, red pepper sauce, and feta

Salt & Straw...is it worth the wait?  Oh yeah...

Handmade waffle cones

Amazing ice cream

There's always still room for chocolate at Moonstruck

Clear Creek pear brandy, Pure gold with Drambuie, Grand Marnier truffles

On the trail of great food in Portland Oregon - part one

 

A number of years ago, I shared with you about our daughter's decision to move across country to Portland, and our subsequent discovery of Voodoo Doughnuts and Dick's Kitchen, the home of the dork burger.  We've had several trips out to visit her since then, and I think it's past time that I shared some of our favorite eating establishments and shops that we have visited.  Lest you think all we did was eat, let me tell you that we didn't come back any heavier than we left...we also did a LOT of walking and hiking!

In no particular order:

Just to remind you how we like to start the day...Voodoo Doughnuts

Cinnamon bun French toast at 10-2-1 Cafe

Full Sail Brewing and Pub

Whole Foods, aka Whole Paycheck...a place the girls almost never shop

Planked salmon at Jake's Grill 

The dessert tray at Jake's

Martini

Great American Grill

Our local Marriott has a built-in restaurant called the Great American Grill.  Maybe they all have them...I wouldn't know.  Marriotts aren't usually in our budget when we're traveling, but the diner is really quite good.  At least for breakfast and lunch!   Here's my quesadilla...that's a mouthful, huh?  A lot of it went home with me.

Barbecued chicken

I learned some tricks from Cook's Illustrated over the summer, and they've definitely made my Barbecued Chicken better!

My favorite tip is this one: whether you are going to grill regular or skinless chicken parts, hit it with a rub at least 6 hours before grilling.  I like to wait until way into the grilling before beginning to add the sugary barbecue sauce since it will tend to burn if left on too long.  My new favorite rub is below.

Here's my other favorite tip: use a disposable aluminum pie pan or two, filled with water, underneath the grill grate on the cool end of the grill.  When you cook your chicken lower and slower at the cool end (after searing it for flavor on the hot end of course), covered by the grill top, the added moisture does wonders for the meat.

Rub for barbecued chicken:
2 T brown sugar
4 t coarse salt
1 1/2 t onion powder
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1 1/2 t paprika
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper

Easiest to mix and apply in a plastic bag.  Then refrigerate for at least 6 hours (in the bag is fine).

Caffeine

Chicken Lucia

This dish packs big-time flavor into a minimally fussy package.  I've seen Chicken Lucia made with artichoke hearts instead of mushrooms, but I really like the Hannaford version best.  If you don't like mushrooms, think about making the substitution.  As for us, we'll stick with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a sherry-cream sauce!

A new place to list your food blog

There's a new(ish) site for food lovers, and you can practically get in on the ground floor.  RecipeBlogs.com is an aggregator site for all things food.  If you click on the post titles, it will take you directly to the featured blog, so you do not need to be concerned that they are scraping your content.  With the demise of FoodBuzz, and the horrendous job that the folks at DailyBuzz Food are doing with the replacement site, it's time for a new choice.  Perhaps RecipeBlogs.com can help fill that gap.  We shall see.

Chicken with plum-cherry sauce

Quick, quick!  While there are still a few fresh cherries on the shelves...

If it's too late, please consider making this anyway, and use canned cherries packed in water...NOT in syrup!  You can really use any stone fruits for this dish, but I love the color that plums give it.  The recipe for Chicken with Plum-Cherry Sauce can be found in Hannaford's Fresh magazine.

Sharing?

Time for one more summer salad?

Before the berries all disappear from the shelves, I thought we'd have one more beautiful summer salad.  I used my quick and easy method for cooking a boneless chicken breast, which got added after it cooled and was chopped.  The rest is pretty self-explanatory: baby romaine and arugula, English cukes, snap peas, strawberries, and blueberries.  For the dressing, I used my favorite slightly sweet and tangy dressing:

1 T maple syrup
2 T red-wine vinegar
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper

Lobster Mac and Cheese

With lots of black pepper...just the way I like it!

If there's anything better than ooey gooey macaroni and cheese, it's mac and cheese with lobster meat!  I found this lovely recipe in the Hannaford Fresh magazine this summer, and we've had it twice.  I made two changes.  First, I couldn't find a brick of provolone cheese, so I used an Italian cheese mixture that was mostly mozzarella.  And second, we like a crusty top, so I stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes before removing from the oven.

I just checked the website and noticed that half of the recipe directions are missing, so here is my slightly rewritten version for you:

Lobster Mac and Cheese

1 lb. penne

Salt

1 c dry white wine, such as chardonnay

2 medium shallots, diced

1 1/2 T flour

1 pint cream

6 oz. smoked gouda, shredded

6 oz. aged provolone or mozzarella, shredded

4 oz. Asiago cheese, shredded

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 lb. cooked lobster meat, chopped (from about 4 lbs. of lobsters)

The recipe can easily be halved . Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle with a rounded tablespoonful of salt and add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes, drain, and set aside to cool in the colander.

While waiting for water to boil, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a large saucepan, bring wine to a simmer, then add shallots. Simmer over medium-low heat until shallots are tender and wine has reduced by two-thirds, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle flour over shallots and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed and flour just begins to color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add cream and heat over low heat until hot to the touch, stirring frequently to avoid scorching; be very careful not to let it boil, as the mixture may then separate.

Gradually stir cheeses into hot cream in four or five additions, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon and allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Continue until all the cheese has been incorporated and the mixture forms a smooth, thick sauce.

Place the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir well. Stir in the lobster meat, and spread it out, making sure the lobster is covered by sauce and pasta. Cover with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Broil to crisp the top if desired. Set aside to firm up for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Happy Labor Day!