It’s official, with a proclamation from Governor Ted Kulongoski, July is Oregon Craft Beer Month.

Did you know? Oregon hop farms stretch back over 130 years. Oregon's first brewery, Liberty Brewing, opened in 1852. Portland has more breweries than any other city in the world. And the Oregon Brewers Guild has decided to celebrate this rich history of craft brewing with over 100 events across the state.

Where to begin? How about at the official kick-off event at Portland's Horse Brass Pub, which will be featuring 20-25 taps of all Oregon beers including new releases, world premier exclusives, and rare and vintage beers.

Tuesday, July 1, 5 p.m.
Horse Brass Pub
4520 SE Belmont, Portland, OR 97215

Not in your neighborhood? There are 22 other events to choose from on July 1.

Other Oregon Craft Beer Month events to take note of:

July 9, 7pm, Beer and Oregon Cheese Pairings with Steve’s Cheese, Hopworks Urban Brewery
July 24–27, Oregon Brewers Festival, Waterfront Park
July 25–July 26, 12-6pm, Homebrewing Demo by the Oregon Brew Crew, Waterfront Park

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

CAR-FREE IN PORTLAND

On June 22, join your fellow citizens to celebrate our incredibly walk-able and bike-able city at Portland Sunday Parkways. This 6-mile, car-free temporary park is being created to give people more open space to be active without worrying about oncoming traffic. Bike, skate, jump, or skip your way through the streets to imagine what a city with fewer cars might be like!

June 22, 2008, 8am–2pm
Route Map here
Highlights - including food vendors - here

- Kathleen Bauer

Posted by Deborah Kane at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Wed., June 18, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
RENEWING AMERICA'S FOOD TRADITIONS
Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods: An Evening with Gary Paul Nabhan

Powell’s City of Books
1005 W Burnside, Portland
Free to the public

Ethnobotanist, professor, social activist, and author Gary Paul Nabhan will speak about his book Renewing America’s Food Traditions. Nabhan is a national leader in the movement to reconnect citizens with American food heritage. With eloquence and wisdom, Nabhan brings to light both our tremendous agricultural diversity and the role we can each play to keep it alive with every delicious bite.

Wed., June 25, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
ONE SOLUTION TO THE FOOD CRISIS: EAT LOCAL!
An Evening with Michael Shuman

First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th, Portland
$10 in advance; $12 at the door
Sponsored by SBNP; 503-232-2943

Michael Shuman, author of Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age and The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition, will discuss how communities are increasingly feeding themselves and simultaneously reaping huge economic, environmental and social benefits. As a forerunner to Eat Local Week (July 4–11), the night will kick off with seasonal delicacies along with a presentation by Lisa Sedlar of New Seasons Market.

Posted by Laura Ford at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

LENTS INTERNATIONAL FARMERS' MARKET
Sundays, June 15 – October 12
9am – 2pm
SE 92nd and Foster, Portland

10 new vendors join the Lents International Farmers' Market this season, increasing the market total to 19 vendors.

What will you find at the market? All your familiar summer veggies plus produce such as Chinese long beans (here's a great recipe from Epicurious.com), Thai basil (delicious in mojitos and salad rolls), Russian cucumbers (tasty fresh and wonderful pickled) and bitter melon (learn all about this fascinating fruit from the National Bitter Melon Council). You'll also find fresh eggs from chickens raised just blocks away, Armenian and Ukrainian bread and pastries, and tamales.

Read Growing New Roots: Immigrant and Refugee Farmers Dig In to learn more about the market.

Posted by Laura Ford at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Photo courtesy of Food Alliance

Join Edible Portland and Slow Food Portland for a discussion about farmworker issues in the U.S. and Oregon.

THE HANDS THAT FEED US
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
5:30–7:00 p.m.

$10 - Buy tickets here

Edible Portland's summer cover story "Hand Picked" explores the realities of farm labor in Oregon, where we employ nearly 90,000 migrant and seasonal workers to bring in summer’s bounty. The story doesn’t cast villains and victims, but instead shows the thorny complexities of farm labor.

This event, The Hands That Feed Us, will begin with a viewing of the 10-minute documentary, Children in the Fields — An American Problem, produced by the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. Following the video, we will continue the conversation on how to build a food system that is fair, affordable and legal for farmworkers and farmers alike.

Please Note: The "Corn in Our Cars" event advertised in Edible Portland as taking place on July 8 is being rescheduled. Check back for the new date!

Posted by Laura Ford at 8:03 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Don't miss the opening of Edible Portland's favorite farmers' market, the Portland Farmers Market at Ecotrust (conveniently located in our parking lot at NW 10th & Irving).

For Opening Day this Thursday, Portland freelance writer Ivy Manning will be doing a cooking demo and book signing for her new book, The Farm to Table Cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally.

Organized by season, Ivy Manning offers a spectacular collection of recipes calling for the freshest local ingredients. Recipes are made even more appealing due to the full-color photographs taken by Gregor Torrence.

SAVE THE DATE for these upcoming Berry Festivals at two Portland Farmers Markets:

Thursday, June 19, Eastbank Market, 3:30–7:30 p.m., SE Salmon & 20th
Thursday, June 26, Ecotrust Market, 3:30–7:30 p.m., NW 10th & Irving

What's happening? The markets will dress fresh-baked shortcake with your favorite berries topped off with organic whipped cream. Berry shortcakes will be served to shoppers who make a $5 minimum purchase from any market vendor.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

All proceeds from this dinner to benefit: Abernethy Elementary School's Garden of Wonders (above).

Celebrate the wonder of school gardens at Vindalho this weekend! Just a few seats remain.

Sunday, June 1, 4–6 p.m.
Vindalho, 2038 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR

$60.00 per person includes gratuity
Four courses served family-style paired with wine
Call Patty Fink for tickets 503-236-3232

The menu includes Samosas filled with Asparagus, Fava and English Peas; Paneer Pakora; Lamb Koftas with Tomato Yogurt Curry; Chicken Tikka, Prawn Saute, or Vegetable Curry. And much more!

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Thursday, May 29 at 7p.m.
PSU Multicultural Center in Smith Student Union, Room 228
Portland, OR

Young farmer Tyler Jones from Afton Fields Farm will discuss his experiences as a farm intern with writer and food activist Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm.

Following his internship, Tyler moved back to Corvallis and now owns and manages about 30 acres using Joel's methods of raising pastured poultry (for eggs and meat), grass-fed beef, oak savanna pork, turkey, lamb, and bees for honey.

Tyler will address what is wrong with our current food system based on his experiences as a new generation farmer with old-school sustainable values.

Local food sustainability organizations will be on hand to discuss ways to get involved with food system issues.

Hosted by Portland State University's Food Matters student group

Posted by Laura Ford at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

"Couldn't be more timely! A film made to awaken our taste buds and our courage to create a food system aligned with what the earth needs and what our bodies yearn for. Good Food shows us it's possible. It's happening!"
- Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet and Hope's Edge

Something remarkable is happening in the Pacific Northwest; family farms are making a comeback. These farms, the farmers, ranchers, cultivators, and the food they produce, are the focus of the new documentary, Good Food.

• Brooke and Sam Lucy of Bluebird Grain Farms in the Methow Valley plant, harvest and sell organic grain on land they have recovered from years of disuse.
• The Hatfields, family ranchers in eastern Oregon who founded Country Natural Beef, explain how proper grazing of cattle can actually improve the environment.
• Hilario Alvarez, who came to the U.S. as a farm worker decades ago, shows off the innumerable varieties of colorful peppers that brighten his fields and Seattle farmers markets.
• George and Eiko Vojkovich of Skagit River Ranch raise chickens, pigs and beef for your table, all sustainably and naturally.
• Diane Dempster of Charlie’s Produce, talks about how offering local growers the ability to distribute is an important part of their business and commitment to the area.

Seattle International Film Festival Premiere:
Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m.
Egyptian Theatre, 901 E. Pine St.

Saturday, June 7, 4:30 p.m.
SIFF Theatre, 321 Mercer St.

Good Food brings you close to the producers and the people that are helping to sustain and support the cycle of great food getting to our tables.

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Portland EXPO Center
www.greenerhomesandgardens.com

The 6th Annual Greener Homes and Gardens Expo features a ton of seminars and workshops designed to help us promote sustainability in our home and garden. Edible Portland's favorites include a honey bee seminar and a seed swap hosted by NW RAGE.

Produced by the ReDirect Guide, a benefit for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore
$3 suggested donation

Posted by Laura Ford at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

VegFest 2008 in Portland!

Friday, May 9, 7 p.m.
Howard Lyman
"Destroying the Earth a Bite at a Time"
Author of Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat

Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
VegFest Fair!

All events at: Benson High School, 546 NE 12th Ave., Portland, OR
Cost: $5 each day

In addition to tons of food, chef demos, and an experts table, the VegFest Fair features local and national experts speaking on the following:

Juan Castillo Hererra, a Peruvian Farmer's Perspective on Fair Trade
Mia MacDonald of Brighter Green on eating sustainability (What is meat's carbon footprint?)
Paul Shapiro of the Humane Society on animal welfare in today's food system

Posted by Laura Ford at 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Portland celebrates its newest market — Parkrose Farmers' Market — this Saturday, May 3rd located in northeast.

Parkrose Farmers' Market
Saturdays, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
May–October
Parkrose High School parking lot
NE 122nd and Shaver (near Sandy Blvd)

Opening Day features the 17-piece Jazz Express Band. Check their website for a great list of vendors and entertainment lined up throughout the year.

Posted by Laura Ford at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Grand Opening
Friday, May 2
210 NW 11th Avenue, Portland

Deschutes opens a full brewery and restaurant this Friday in Portland. Located in a beautiful old building in the Pearl, the brewpub has almost a lodge-like feel with its massive reclaimed timber beams and intricate wood carving by Oregon artist J. Chester Armstrong.

The daring and diverse menu includes ingredients from a few of Edible Portland's favorite producers, including goat cheese from Juniper Grove and greens from Siri Farms. The brewpub also features house-baked breads and pretzels and house-cured prosciutto.

I might stop by tomorrow night for the NW mushroom pizza or house-made veggie burger, but I'm staying for the beer. I tasted their fresh-from-the-tap Black Butte Porter the other day, and it was heavenly.

Posted by Laura Ford at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

In Good Taste celebrates its 10th Anniversary this Saturday, April 26. Shopping in the Pearl tomorrow? Stop by In Good Taste between 10am and 5pm for all sorts of activities in celebration of this local cooking school and retail store. At noon is a demo on Indian delights, a primer on salts follows at 1pm, and from 2-4pm, a chocolate tasting with Elizabeth Montes of Sahagun Chocolates. (That's a photo of Sahagun's Single Luscious Caramel above.) Yum!

In Good Taste's Open House
Celebrating their 10th Anniversary
Saturday, April 26
10–5 p.m.
231 NW 11th Ave at the corner of Everett, Portland

Posted by Laura Ford at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Small, independent producers are the heart and soul of Oregon’s world-class wine industry. The Portland Indie Wine Festival is your opportunity to meet the next generation of winemakers emerging from cellars all across the state. This relatively unknown brigade of craft wineries (those who produce less than 2,000 cases each year) represents a diversity of styles and a bent toward sustainable agriculture and production.

What happens at the Wine Festival? At the Grand Tasting on May 3 and 4, you can meet the winemakers and hear their stories first hand, sample great food from top Oregon chefs, and buy wines on site to take home and enjoy with friends.

2008 PORTLAND INDIE WINE FESTIVAL

Grand Tasting
Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4
3–6 p.m. each day
NW 16th Ave. between Flanders & Everett, Portland

New this year! Two seminars including:
Terroir 101: Can you Taste Place in Chocolate, Coffee and Wine?
Saturday, May 3
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Hotel Vintage Plaza, 422 SW Broadway, Portland

Buy tickets
This event will sell out!

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Portland's Urban Growth Boundary has slowed the development of surrounding farmland, but it has not stopped it. What must we do to protect this essential resource?

No Slow Food Without Farmland!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
5:30–7:00 p.m.

Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th Ave, 2nd floor
Portland, OR 97209
$10–$15
rsvp@slowfoodportland.com

This event explores the critical link between the outstanding foods we buy at our local farmers’ markets and the ongoing challenges of land-use planning in the metro area.

Jim Johnson, Land Use Specialist at Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Mary Kyle McCurdy from 1000 Friends of Oregon will lead a discussion of these issues and explore some new and innovative techniques to help us better protect our fertile local farmland. Both Jim and Mary Kyle have been working to protect Oregon’s farmland for decades.

Land-use planning in Oregon has done a good job of slowing development on farmland but none of this valuable land is actually permanently protected.

We are fortunate in the Willamette Valley to have some of the best farmland in the world. If we want to keep eating local what must we do to protect this essential resource?

Presented by Slow Food Portland.

Posted by Laura Ford at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Some gardeners will remember
from their own earliest recollections that no one sees the garden
as vividly, or cares about it as passionately,
as the child who grows up in it.
- Carol Williams, Bringing a Garden to Life

SEEDS OF SCIENCE
Saturday, April 19 – Sunday, April 20
9:30am–5:30pm

OMSI's back courtyard
1945 SE Water, Portland, OR
Free with paid museum admission

Children and Gardens: both require a whole lot of time and love to grow to full glory. Wonderfully, the more they interact, the better both will become.

This weekend, OMSI offers the opportunity for you to learn with your kids about the great, dirty, and rewarding world of gardening and sustainable food at Seeds of Science, a two-day community event.

What will you learn?
• Preserving the pollinator population — Xerces Society
• Creating home herb gardens — Portland Nursery
• Guide to backyard farming — Your Backyard Garden
• Composting — Metro
• Container gardening — Growing Gardens

Also:
• Plastics in the Food Chain: When We Become Our Waste — An art exhibit
• Farmer’s Market — OMSI vendors provide info on local farming

Give your kids a leg up while learning some valuable lessons yourself. And then everything can grow together: you, your kids, your compost bin, and your vegetable patch.

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Presented by the Oregon Food Bank

Ken Meter: The Future of Food in Oregon
7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 24
First Congregational Church
1126 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR

Imagine a food and agricultural economy in Oregon that is strong, thriving and sustainable. Imagine Oregon producing enough food to feed its population.

Ken Meter, farm and food system analyst from Minnesota and president of the Crossroads Resource Center, helps communities and states achieve goals such as these. Meter studies existing food systems and creates reports using hard economic data to demonstrate the importance of developing local, sustainable food systems.

Meter moves people from being passive recipients of the food system to active participants working toward positive change.

The Oregon Food Bank will accept food and cash donations at the door.

Posted by Laura Ford at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

The Kitchen Conference brings together the smartest minds in marketing to help companies reach new customers, build strong brands and strengthen customer loyalty. Companies encouraged to attend are those that use ingredients with integrity, honor their employees’ contributions, respect customer intelligence, nurture the earth, and contribute to their communities.

The mission? To produce the most effective, thought-provoking marketing conference ever offered to help the natural and organic business sector thrive.

April 23–24, 2008
The Governor Hotel
Portland, OR
Register Now!

Speakers include representatives from Annie's Homegrown, Burts Bee's, YOLO Colorhouse, KEEN Footwear, The Hartman Group and Sokol Blosser Winery. Go here for the full agenda.

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Chicken Fest!
March 28-30, 2008

Livingscape Nursery
3926 N Vancouver, Portland
livingscapenursery.com

Find a schedule of workshops and films online. Chicken Fest! is a benefit for Growing Gardens.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Talk with author Gene Baur
President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary

7 p.m., Thursday, March 27
Clinton Theater
2522 SE Clinton, Portland
FREE

Factory-farmed meat has been front and center in the news, mostly thanks to the recent undercover investigation at the California slaughter plant that revealed rampant animal cruelty. The fact that the plant was a major supplier to America's school lunch program made us all sit back, take notice, and ask questions: What are downer cows? What is supposed to be done with them? Where were the USDA inspectors who are tasked with keeping such cruelty from happening?

It is a great time, then, to pick up a copy of Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food. Author Gene Baur knows firsthand what happens in stockyards, slaughterhouses and factory farms. Baur, a vegan, does not proselytize in this book. "Rather, he makes a strong case that meat eaters have an ethical responsibility to ensure that the animals they eat have not been abused." (Publishers Weekly)

Baur encourages us to support local farms and to avoid factory-farmed meat, milk and eggs when possible. We're lucky to be living in Portland, where it's relatively easy to do so.

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

MARCH 15 - OREGON CHEESE FESTIVAL

Left: Siletz River Drum by Rivers Edge Chevre; Right: Hillis Peak by Pholia Farms

Oregon Cheese Festival
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Rogue Creamery, 311 North Front St, Central Point, OR
$5 entry fee includes tastings and demonstrations
Contact: Rogue Creamery, 541-665-1155 x163

Thousands of visitors will attend this festival, gathered under a giant tent to sample cow, sheep and goat cheese from Oregon creameries.

"The farmers' market format will present an interactive experience between makers and visitors, giving everyone an opportunity to talk about the product, the process and learn each individual cheesemaker's story," says David Gremmels, owner with Cary Bryant of Rogue Creamery. "It's a way to truly be connected with the source of the cheese being presented."

MARCH 19 - D.I.Y. CHEESEMAKER ROUNDTABLE

Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods
Wednesday, March 19, 7:15 p.m.
2518 NE 15th Ave., Portland, OR
Free
Contact: Foster & Dobbs, 503-284-1157

Foster & Dobbs found that a sizeable group of D.I.Y. cheesemakers are in the Portland area. Why not meet each other? In January, a group of 18 home cheesemakers - of all different experience levels - showed up to Foster & Dobbs to exchange ideas, experiences and resources. The group is meeting again and is open to newcomers.

Come with your questions and ideas, and bring some of your homemade cheese to share!

VIDEO: SHEEP CHEESE BY ANCIENT HERITAGE DAIRY

So, how do the professionals do it? This video by Cooking Up A Story explains the ways Ancient Heritage Dairy in Scio, Oregon.

Sheep cheese tastes distinctive, characteristically strong, and very different from cow or goat cheese. On this family sheep farm, the making of cheese reflects a slower pace of life along with a direct connection to the land.

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Tonight's event at Powell's on Hawthorne has been canceled! The author is stuck on the east coast due to weather.

You can find more information about local farms using the community supported agriculture model through the Portland Area CSA Coalition.

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE: THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR FOOD LOVERS AND FARMERS ALIKE

Talk and book signing with Elizabeth Henderson
Monday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne, Portland

To an increasing number of families, the CSA (community-supported agriculture) is the answer to the globalization of our food supply.

The premise is simple: create a partnership between local farmers and nearby consumers. In exchange for paying in advance—at the beginning of the growing season, when the farm needs financing—CSA members receive the freshest, healthiest produce throughout the season and keep money, jobs, and farms in their own community.

In Sharing the Harvest, authors Elizabeth Henderson and Robyn Van En lay out the basic tenets of the CSA, provide useful information for both farmers and consumers on starting and running a successful community farm project, and describe hundreds of useful strategies that have worked (or not worked) for CSAs from Alaska to Florida.

Shari Sirkin of Dancing Roots Farm CSA will also be on hand to answer questions and get you signed up for the upcoming season.

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

More Michael Pollan-inspired 2-word, 3-word, 2-word stanzas follow. Allow Michael Pollan's words, Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants, to inspire you, and post your own poem below.

Eat slowly
Savor the time
With friends

Worm bin
Daily food scraps
Happy worms

Buy local
Support small farms
Except coffee

Molecular cuisine
Not for me
Tried it!

Like bears
We should eat
More berries

So much
Food available today
Exercise prescribed

Small bites
Prepared with care
Enjoyed completely

Detasseling corn
Mile long rows
First job

Continue reading " Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants. (II) " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

An audience of 600 people gathered at the Bagdad Theater in Portland on February 12th, in anticipation of Michael Pollan who was there to talk about his new book, In Defense of Food.

As we waited, Deborah Kane, Vice President of Ecotrust Food & Farms and publisher of Edible Portland, asked the crowd to help her prepare her introductory remarks for Michael's talk.

She wanted us to duplicate the exercise Michael had preformed so successfully in creating what has become the book's mantra:

Eat Food.
Not Too Much.
Mostly Plants.

In the spirit of this 2-word, 3-word, 2-word stanza, this is how the audience responded:

Grow corn
Just for food
Not cars

Go home
Rip up lawn
Plant kale

Sweet beet
Dye my mouth
Winter red

Earl Butz
Liked his corn
In cups

Feed lots
Make our beef
Torture raised

Picking fruit
Low hanging plum
You're mine

To eat
What I grow
Is heaven

Hot dog
Are you real?
I'll pass

Walk there
Know your farmer
Eat fresh

Continue reading " Thank you for your Michael Pollan-inspired haiku that are not at all true haiku (I) " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

SEXY COOKIE GIVEAWAY
All Hotlips Pizza restaurants
The first 3,000 people in the door will receive a free cookie on Valentine's Day! Sugar cookie lips are made with sustainably grown Shepherd’s Grain wheat from Eastern Washington.

LOVE ME TANDOOR!
Vindalho's Valentine's Day Specials:
Dungeness Crab Soup with Ginger and Warm Spices
Six Sinku Oysters on the Half Shell with Chile-Lime Mignonette
Pan-Seared Diver Scallops with Mango-Coconut Curry and Spicy Cabbage Salad
Tandoor Roasted Lamb Sirloin with Black Pepper Jus, Masala Mashed Potatoes and Grated Carrot-Cashew Relish

Vindalho
2038 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR
503-467-4550

JON'S VALENTINE'S DAY PRIX FIXE DINNER
Opposable Thumb Gallery and Cafe
A special performance featuring local, seasonal and aphrodisiacal foods from chef Jon Grumbles. Guaranteed to get you in the mood!

Price: $25 per person (Three courses plus appetizers and wine)
Reservations required
3312 SE Belmont St., Portland, OR
503-235-0146

Posted by Laura Ford at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Photos by Pat Dixon

"They draw their inspiration from salmon and slime lines, empty nets and empty wallets, rolling decks and weary limbs. They write about lures, loves and even lives lost in pursuit of a fickle bounty. The Fisher Poets Gathering celebrates the men and women who find the raw beauty in this fishing life and share their joys and frustrations in verse."
- From The Daily Astorian, February 24, 2005

The eleventh annual Fisher Poets Gathering, where there will be 70 presenters from all over the west and east coasts, takes place in Astoria, February 22-24. Find the schedule online at clatsopcollege.com/fisherpoets and scroll to the bottom on the page to download audio from last year's event.

This event is not to be missed. But if you can't be there, Jen Winston's 2005 documentary Fisher Poets captures the moment almost as well.

Posted by Laura Ford at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

WHO IS FOOD ALLIANCE? Food Alliance is a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture by recognizing and rewarding farmers who produce food in environmentally friendly and socially responsible ways, and educating consumers and others in the food system about the benefits of sustainable agriculture.

WHY GO TO THE ANNUAL DINNER? Join Food Alliance for their 10th Anniversary Dinner to celebrate a decade of work promoting sustainable agriculture and bringing more socially and environmentally responsible food to consumers.

Plus, the Food Alliance Annual Dinner is the social event of the year for anyone working with food - whether you're growing, processing, distributing, educating, policy-making, cooking, or eating - in the Portland area.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
University of Portland, Chiles Center
5000 N Willamette Blvd, Portland

6 p.m. Drinks & Appetizers
7 p.m. Dinner
Tickets: $100

Purchase tickets and learn more at www.foodalliance.org/annualdinner

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It wouldn't be winter on the coast without the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. Since 1977 the Seafood & Wine Festival has attracted visitors from around the world to the central Oregon coast.

Friday, February 22, 2 - 9 p.m.
Saturday, February 23, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, February 24, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

South Beach Marina Parking Lot
2320 OSU Drive, just south of downtown Newport
newportchamber.org/swf/

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Michael Pollan's photo by Alia Malley

Please join Edible Portland for an evening with Michael Pollan, presented by Powell's Books:

Tuesday, February 12 at 7 p.m.
Bagdad Theater
3702 SE Hawthorne, Portland

From the author of the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma comes In Defense of Food, a bracing and eloquent manifesto that shows readers how they might start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich their lives and enlarge their sense of what it means to be healthy. Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

"[T]his powerfully argued, thoroughly researched and elegant manifesto cuts straight to the chase," hails Publishers Weekly.

Tickets: $21.95 (Includes admission and a copy of the book)
Available at: Bagdad Theater and Crystal Ballroom box offices, Ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster outlets

Posted by Laura Ford at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Photo courtesy of Oregon Truffle Festival

Beginning January 25, Eugene will host truffle harvesters, chefs, growers, gastronomic aficionados, and truffle hunting dogs at the annual Oregon Truffle Festival. A celebration of the native truffle at its peak of ripeness, the festival recognizes Oregon truffles as one of the world's great delicacies and a national treasure.

There will be plenty to do this weekend in Eugene, as the festival attracts top chefs, vintners and artisan producers from all over the region. Take a closer look at who will be at the Truffle Marketplace on Sunday, January 27.

Contact: 503.296.5929, info@oregontrufflefestival.com

Posted by Laura Ford at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

A four course dinner, each course paired perfectly with a local wine, will be held at Vino Paradiso to benefit p:ear, the organization that builds relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to create more meaningful and healthier lives.

Each course will incorporate a variety of Oregon pears, their significance presented by a local pear farmer.

Sunday, January 27, 2008
6 - 8:30 p.m.
Vino Paradiso Wine Bar & Bistro
417 NW 10th Ave, Portland

Cost? $100 per person
Reservations? Call 503-295-9536

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Did you know that February 2008 is Portland's first ever Chocolate Month - as proclaimed by Mayor Tom Potter. And this weekend, the World Forestry Center is celebrating chocolate and the cacao tree!

Be prepared to eat lots of chocolate, offered by many of Portland's artisan chocolatiers. There will also be demonstrations on making chocolate and presentations on the history of chocolate.

February 2 & 3, 2008
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
World Forestry Center
Washington Park
Portland, OR

www.worldforestycenter.org

Proceeds benefit the World Forestry Center's Discovery Museum and education programs.

Posted by Laura Ford at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

A BENEFIT FOR BLACK SHEEP CREAMERY

The owners of Black Sheep Creamery, Brad and Meg Gregory, suffered extensive damage to their farmhouse, barn and property due to the storm that hit the Pacific Northwest in December 2007. The Gregory's also lost most of their flock of more than 80 sheep.

In response, Portland area cheese enthusiasts are sponsoring the benefit event, Cheese for a Good Cause. For a suggested donation of $25-50, attendees will enjoy local beer and wine and cheeses from local and international producers.

The cheeses produced by Black Sheep Creamery, located in Adna, Washington, are handmade from the milk of Rideau-Arcott and East Friesian sheep. The award-winning cheeses are available locally at Steve’s Cheese, Foster & Dobbs, Curds & Whey, Market of Choice, and various farmers' markets.

Black Sheep Creamery Benefit
Friday, February 1, 2008
6-9 p.m.

Ecotrust Building
721 NW 9th Ave, 2nd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

All funds raised will go directly to the Black Sheep Creamery Benefit Fund at Bank of America.
Purchase tickets now.

Posted by Laura Ford at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

JAN 5 - 1:30-3:30 p.m. - Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Social
JAN 19 - 5-9 p.m. - Cocktail Chemistry & Appetizer Alchemy reception
JAN 19 - Molecular Dinner & Auction - SOLD OUT

Sometimes it doesn't matter whether you're in a fine dining restaurant or a fish shack, how the lights blink down on you, or who sits at your side. When the food hits your tongue, you lose your rational self. Jarred by something eerily familiar or astonishingly strange, you are suddenly overcome by your senses - you taste and feel and smell instead of think. And after the rush subsides, you remember that life is erratic and full of surprises. For me, in those rare moments, I feel a little more excited to be alive.

This intense sensory experience is one aim of molecular gastronomy, what I once heard someone call "the science of deliciousness." Molecular gastronomy, or "scientific cooking," utilizes techniques, tools, and materials rarely found in the kitchen to create food that challenges our expectations and introduces us to new sensations. Despite its name, scientific cooking does not take creativity and personality out of the kitchen; it does the inverse, offering those with bravado and curiosity the opportunity to challenge culinary norms.

Most famously, scientific chefs wield esoteric contraptions (like the "anti-griddle," which freezes things on contact!) or hazardous chemicals (like liquid nitrogen, which also freezes things on contact!) to create Willy Wonka-like masterpieces. Once these foods reach our tongues, they melt or tingle, wiggle or pop. Always, the results shine light on the endless possibilities of food to please and frustrate us and to stimulate our minds and our memories.

This year, OMSI will challenge our notion of its annual fundraising gala as well. Instead of a predictable auction, with dinner and a wine bar as necessary accessories, the food and chefs will be the entertainment themselves.

Science in the Kitchen: an Evening with the Nation's Top Culinary Alchemists will take place on Saturday January 19th, 2008. First-class chefs from New York and Chicago, along with Portland's creme de la creme, will create an evening of sense-astonishing cocktails, appetizers, and entrees.

Continue reading " JAN 19, 2008 OMSI Gala: Alter Your Senses with Molecular Gastronomy " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It's time for Portland's annual Holiday Ale Festival at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Although held outdoors, you won't be freezing you're fingers off: You'll be warm and dry under a large, clear-ceilinged tent with several gas heaters.

You'll also be happy that for free admission and the purchase of a $5 beer mug, you get to sip over 36 winter ales, including:

Wreck the Halls from Full Sail (Hood River)
Jubelale from Deschutes (Bend)
Santa's Private Reserve from Rogue (Newport)
Tannen Bomb from Golden Valley (McMinnville)
Blitzen from Rock Bottom (Portland)
O'Holy Hops from Max's (Tigard)
Sled Halucinator from Collaborator (Portland)
Brewdolph from Lompoc (Portland)
Kringle Krack from Calapooia (Albany)
Brown Shugga from Lagunitas (Petaluma, CA)
St. Nick's Sock Knocker from Karlsson (Sandy)

Thursday, November 29 - Sunday, December 2
11am-10pm Thursday-Saturday
11am-6pm Sunday

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Blossoming Lotus creates all-vegan food from scratch daily for their Pearl District cafe and catering business. All dishes are sourced locally and use organic products whenever possible. If you'd rather spend your Thanksgiving day catching up with friends, playing games with your family, or taking a walk outdoors, think about ordering an entire Thanksgiving meal from Blossoming Lotus.

Orders must be received by November 19. Email their catering manager, or order the whole meal, for 2 to 12 guests, online.

The Menu:
Savory House Made Seitan and Vegetable Cassoulet
Autumn Squash Gratin
Escarole and Arugula Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables
Dried Cranberry and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette
Onion Rye Rolls
Persimmon Cranberry Bundt Cake
Holiday Nut Nog Soft Serve
Stellar Cabernet (optional)

Prices range from $40, dinner for 2, to $270, dinner for 12.

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

King Corn has sold out at movie theaters across the country. It opens in Portland tonight at Hollywood Theatre, showing at 7:15 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Buying advance tickets is highly recommended.

Curt Ellis will also be at Hollywood Theatre Friday and Saturday nights to answer your questions.

Read Curt's story in the Summer issue of Edible Portland: All Ears: An Oregonian harvests wisdom in Iowa.

Posted by Laura Ford at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Opposable Thumb's panini sandwich and gelato. Photo courtesy of www.portlandpicks.com.

Cozy cafe, gallery showcasing local artists, Ristretto Roasters coffee, Stella Gelato (from Eugene), Kettleman bagels, and every dish chock full of local ingredients, locally processed meats, wild and line-caught salmon. Welcome to Opposable Thumb Gallery + Café - where I dined just last week.

Chef Jon Grumbles (one-time chef of Candle Cafe in NYC, widely considered one of the best vegetarian restaurants ever) works on his focaccia pizzas, panini sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts in a tiny back kitchen.

I was very excited to hear that Chef Jon will be preparing a special vegetarian meal (vegan upon request) for 25 diners at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 8th. This $25 3-course meal (plus complimentary glass of wine - Hello! Best deal of the year.) will feature local, seasonal ingredients and could become a once monthly event.

Reserve your seat now by emailing Mary Nichols.

Opposable Thumb Gallery + Café
3312 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR 97214
503.235.0146

Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-11pm

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Reminder! Ann Vileisis, author of Kitchen Literacy, will be speaking at the Ecotrust Conference Center at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5. This event is free.

I'm very excited to see what Ann has in store for us. Her presentation includes a slide show of historic images showing the profound changes in how Americans have cooked and thought about food over time. She promises to make people think differently about what we know about what we eat.

Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th Ave, 2nd Floor, Portland

Questions? Call: 503-467-0806. Or email.

Posted by Laura Ford at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Have you seen the clip for the film-in-progress "Ingredients"? It's just over half-way through production - eventually it will be aired on OPB. The documentary, filmed in Portland and featuring local food leaders, explores the local, seasonal food movement and why it continues to rise (with Portland at its head).

Illustrating the crucial relationship between chef and grower, featured local food leaders include: chefs Greg Higgins and Pascal Sauton, winemaker Josh Bergstrom, and farmer Laura Masterson.

Posted by Laura Ford at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Ask children where food comes from, and they’ll probably answer: “the supermarket.” Ask most adults, and their replies may not be much different. Where our foods are raised and what happens to them between farm and supermarket shelf have become mysteries. How did we become so disconnected from the sources of our breads, beef, cheeses, cereal, apples, and countless other foods that nourish us every day?

Ann Vileisis will present an inspiring slide show at Ecotrust on November 5th, telling the story of just how the urban/suburban consumer got into the habit of not paying attention to our food. All this and much more is explored in depth in her new book, Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back. Ann will also be signing copies of her book.

Why should we be interested in knowing our foods once again? And how do we find ways to gain that knowledge? Find out on November 5th.

Kitchen Literacy by Ann Vileisis
Monday, November 5th, 2007
5:30-6:30 pm

Ecotrust Conference Center
721 NW Ninth Ave, 2nd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

No reservations needed. This is a free event.
Contact: Laura Ford, lford@ecotrust.org, 503-467-0806

Posted by Laura Ford at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

In our summer issue, Curt Ellis wrote about his experience growing one acre of (genetically-modified, pesticide-laden, subsidized) corn in Iowa (All Ears: An Oregonian harvests wisdom in Iowa). Curt reminisced that by the Fourth of July, "the field of yellow dent was up to our chins. Tassels were forming on the tops of the plants, and one perfect ear was sprouting on each stalk, set as if by ruler at the consistent height only a combine could appreciate."

He and his friends made a documentary about that experience, and King Corn is officially out in theaters. It will be opening in Portland at the Hollywood Theatre on November 9th. (Don't worry, we'll remind you.)

Curt will also be blogging about what he learned on EdibleNation.com, the official blog of Edible Communities. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, read what the New York Times recently wrote in their Dining & Wine section: A Movie That Scrutinizes Your Popcorn and Soda.

Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis in Greene, Iowa. Photo by Sam Cullman.

Posted by Laura Ford at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It's cheese lover's heaven at the Portland Farmers Market on Saturday, October 6th. Imagine tables piled high with goat, sheep and cow's milk cheese from the Northwest's best artisan cheesemakers.

Some cheesemakers we love who will be there:
Juniper Grove Farm (Redmond, OR)
Mt. Townsend Creamery (Port Townsend, WA)
Willamette Valley Cheese Co. (Salem, OR)
Jumpin' Good Goat Dairy (Ocean Park, WA)
Fraga Farm (Sweet Home, OR)
Rivers Edge Chevre (Logsden, OR)
Redwood Hill Farm (Sebastopol, CA)
Silver Falls Creamery (Monmouth, OR)

Also, Vindalho Chef de cuisine David Anderson and his identical twin brother Raymond Anderson (Nuestra Cocina’s sous chef) will work wonders with their favorite cheeses at the Chef's Stage at 10am and 11am, followed by Scott Dolich of Park Kitchen.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to eat supper prepared by Grandma, in a Grange Hall in the countryside? Why not satisfy that craving close to home, and soon.

This fall Ecotrust hosts an urban Grange Hall Supper, a family-style meal like Grandma might have served. The evening's chef, Robert Reynolds of The Chef Studio, will showcase local ingredients from that magical moment when seasons overlap. Susan and Kyle Chaney of The Busy Corner Café will pour Owen Roe and O'Reilly's wines against a background of live guitar music.

We invite you to join us to share food and stories and to live, if only for an evening, in the warmth and community of the Grange Hall.

When
Thursday, October 4th, 2007
7:00pm prompt

Where
Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center
721 NW 9th Ave, 2nd Floor
Portland, Oregon

Tickets and Reservations
This five course meal and wine to compliment it is $55.
Seating is limited.

RSVP to lalena@ecotrust.org or by calling 503.467.0764.

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Join John Ash and explore the use of flavors and techniques that have come to us from Asia. These are not traditional dishes but rather contemporary versions that are easily done in the American kitchen.

In Good Taste Cooking School
231 NW 11th Avenue

Saturday, September 29, 6:30 pm
Fee: $125
Click here to register

John Ash came to national prominence in 1985 when he was selected by Food & Wine magazine as one of America's “Hot New Chefs.” He founded his restaurant, John Ash & Company, in Northern California's wine country, in 1980 and it continues to be critically acclaimed more than 25 years later.

John is also a passionate voice for ethical and sustainable food issues and serves on the Board of Overseers for the Chef's Collaborative, a national organization of chefs who support ethical agriculture.

THE MENU
Smoked Chicken Rice Paper Rolls with a Spicy Dipping Sauce
Thai Tomato Soup with Shrimp and Cellophane Noodles
Soy Roasted Salmon with Asian Greens
Steak Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette and Grilled Asparagus
Litchi Sorbet with Fresh Fruits

Posted by Laura Ford at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Michele Simon will be in Portland to discuss her new book:
Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back

BOOK TALK AND SIGNING WITH MICHELE SIMON, JD, MPH
7–8:30 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 18
Portland State University’s Urban Center, Room 250
506 SW Mill Street, Portland, Oregon

Publisher's Notes
Over the past two years, concerned Americans have finally begun to ask: Who is to blame for the growing public health crisis of obesity and diet-related illnesses? Is the junk food industry at fault, or is it all just a matter of personal and parental responsibility? How can we fight back with workable solutions?

Appetite for Profit describes food industry lobbying, front groups, and other tactics that operate to undermine nutrition policy in schools and elsewhere. It explains how to counter attack. Additionally, this book tells how to see through corporate promises; informs how to respond; celebrates the unsung heroes in the fight; and provides reliable resources on how to get involved. This enlightening book provides hope with real-life examples of winning strategies and a road map for reform.

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Clarklewis Restaurant and Viridian Farms are collaborating to bring to the table the best of late summer's harvest.

Chef Daniel Mattern and the Clarklewis kitchen will prepare a five-course farm dinner with hand-picked produce fresh from the sun-kissed fields of Viridian Farms.

The menu will be based on what is picked at Viridian that day. It really is about the bounty of the season.

DATE: Saturday, September 8, 2007
PRICE: $65.00 per person
RESERVATIONS: Call 503.235.2294 or go to www.clarklewispdx.com

Posted by Laura Ford at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

At the Pearl District's Ten 01, not only can you enjoy farm-to-table seasonal American cuisine using local ingredients, but you can also sip cocktails mixed with spirits created in Oregon.

Ten 01's resident cocktail connoisseur, Kelley Swenson, uses locally-produced gin, vodka, and aquavit as well as vermouth and grappa from local wineries and distillers such as House Spirits, Clear Creek Distillery, and Ransom Wine & Spirits.

Learn how to use these spirits to create classic summer cocktails from Kelly himself at these upcoming classes:

The Evolution of the Martini
Thursday, July 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Learn the history and evolution of the most lasting cocktail, the martini.

Reconstructing Summer Cocktails
Thursday, August 30, 5:30- 6:30 p.m.
Create modern day summer cocktails and sample, sample, sample!

Classes are $20 each and include appetizers and drink samples. Call 503-226-3463 to register, or just show up.

Cheers!

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

This weekend you have the opportunity to participate in a one-of-a-kind workshop at Tryon Life Community Farm. Sandor Ellix Katz, fermentation revivalist, activist and author or The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, and Frank Cook will lead you through the healing world of fermentation using wild foods. Spend time walking outdoors, get to know local plants, harvest edibles and medicinals, and together learn to make kimchi, idli, kefir, herbal elixir meads and more.

Saturday, July 14 & Sunday, July 15, 2007
10am-5pm each day
$85-$120 sliding scale

Tryon Life Community Farm
11640 SW Boones Ferry Rd
Portland, OR 97219
workshops@tryonfarm.org

For more information, visit:
www.wildfermentation.com
www.plantsandhealers.com

Posted by Laura Ford at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Tomorrow, Grand Central celebrates its new artisan bread bakery and cafe with live music, tours, baking demos, cookie decorating for kids and a cake walk. Not only fun and delicious, but proceeds from the cake walk plus 10% of retail sales will benefit Friends of Forest Park, an organization dedicated to maintaining, preserving, protecting and improving Portland's 5,000 acre park.

Grand Central Bakery Fair
Saturday, June 23
10am-3pm
Click here for a Schedule of Events

Sawtooth Bakery and Cafe
2249 NW York
Portland, Oregon

A newly renovated 13,000 square foot building within Portland’s Northwest Industrial Area, the Saw