c’est la vie

i stopped into miccuci’s the other day, with no plans of falling in lust with any sort of vino, but what can i say? le langue d’amour always catches my eye.  if you’re unaware, miccuci’s is an italian market located near the waterfront in portland which is known for its slabs of sicillian pizza, fine selection of wine, and baked goods that are sold out within five minutes of being put on the shelves.  i don’t travel to miccuci’s nearly as much as i ought to, seeing as i live less than half a mile away, but when i do go, it’s difficult for me not to leave without spending an hour or so inside.  for those who don’t enjoy food, it’s a bit strange that i would take so long perusing the aisles that boast 100% extra virgin olive oil imported straight from italy, or seasoned canned sardines, but for those who enjoy food, than it’s easy to see why!

seeing as the united states restricts folk under 21 to enjoy alcohol, all i could do was stare at the c’est la vie vin with sad puppy dog eyes and a broken heart.  what i was intent on, wasn’t the pinot noir or chardonnay, but it was the vin rose.  yes… that’s right.  i’m a huge sucker for rose wine.  a few older women chuckled as they walked by me and my muse.  realizing that there was no way for me to get my vin right then and there, i settled for a tin of jasmine tea (weird that its sold in an italian market) and some house roasted almonds. 

now it’s funny, when you want something really badly and you know that you’re not going to get it anytime soon and then, as if the heavens heard your call, a miracle happens.  i guess you could say a miracle happened.  when i got home there were women over, laughing, listening to some billie holiday, sipping some vin rose.  sulking into my room, they called after me, and presented me with a glass of wine.  i laughed at the thought of me drinking some wannabe wine, but as i returned into the kitchen, i saw a bottle of c’est la vie rose being passed around from lady to lady! oh the joy! the joyous joy.  i could not have been happier.  and as if all i cared about was the fact that i was drinking c’est la vie, the overall taste was quite nice too.  simple, light and refreshing.  there were of course undertones of floral tastes, and left my palete clean and wanting more.  i always have found pinot noir to be a bit heavy, and chardonnay is like traning wine in my opinion.  the rose vin de c’est la vie was perfect for two reasons.  one it was a nice combination between the chardonnay and pinot noir, and two it matched well because it tasted a bit like summer.  i know most think to drink white vino during the summer months, but i prefer the rose.  all in all, i say go buy yourself a bottle of c’est la vie rose which isn’t more than $14 a bottle, sit back, relax, and partake in the obsesssion.

miss e.

review of duckfat

who killed chivalry? i’m sorry- that was a terrible opening to this wonderful review.  just to be upfront, i’ve been jammin’ to drake all day- if you read enfinoui, you’d know that, but i’ve begun to post lyrics of random songs…which really isn’t a good thing- but moving on.

as i’ve mentioned before, i’ve lived in portland for my entire life, and the fact that it’s taken me this long to go to duckfat amazes me.  my friends know that i enjoy a simple delectable milkshake anyday, so why haven’t i taken their advice prior to sunday? i’m not sure, but duckfat made quite the impression on me.  i wouldn’t say that all the hype was worth it, but hey- their fries were delicious- esp. with the thai chili mayo, and the BGT panini (bacon [thickly cut and savoury], heirloom tomatoes, and the best organic and locally made goat cheese) hit the spot! anna ate the roasted turkey panini and i believe she was satisfied.  the bread (or is it brioche) they use is from standard bakery, and the panini press made it crispy and warm and delicious.  our paninis were served on a small wooden cutting board- similar to a few we own- with a perfectly pickled pickle.

as if i needed to order anything else, i insisted on having the beignets with cinnamon sugar, and a chocolate milkshake.  both were perfect.  so perfect in fact, that the next day, i decided to take izac to duckfat to nibble on some sweets… haha, nibble.  i don’t think we nibbled.  two milkshakes and an order of beignets later, i was stuffed and couldn’t even get myself out of the chair.  this time i ordered the spicy chocolate sauce (and yes, it was spicy, but not even…just right i suppose) for my beignets.  izac liked the milkshake.  and seeing as i had my camera, i decided to document day 2 at duckfat.  while the inside was lacking and smelling like duckfat… HAHA, i truly enjoyed this restaurant.  i don’t see myself as a normal customer, because if i were, i’d be more obese than the world’s fattest man.  maybe not that fat… but i’d definitely pack on the pounds.

miss e.

postscriptum: so here it is- because i’m so forgetful.  duckfat is worth a visit to.  get a milkshake, get the bgt, and sit outside.

crepes dans le matin

this morning i woke up really early to a grumbling stomach (which made no sense seeing as i indulged myself in street & co’s delectable food last evening) and i thought… what should i eat for breakfast? i know it’s talked about all the time- how breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so sticking with the theme of staying healthy and organic this summer, i decided to cooperate with my stomach and make it some grub.  

i suppose i was inspired by the interior of street & company last night and subconciously i turned to making crepes for my breakfast brunch meal.  usually crepes are tricky because the pan is too hot, or the crepes are too thick, or you can’t flip em in time, but for some reason, i was a crepe makin’ machine this morning, with no mishaps and french quality crepes being produced.

Here is the recipe I have used since I started making crepes in fifth grade.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water (cold)
2 large eggs
quarter teaspoon salt
2 tbsp of melted butter
1 tbsp of fresh chopped thyme
1 tbsp of fresh chopped tarragon
1 pinch of herb de provence
2 sage leaves (juliened, probably a generous 2 tbsps)
1 pinch of dried dill
pepper & salt to taste
goat cheese & feta cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped green onions

Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium heat.  Mix flour, eggs, water, milk, salt, and butter in a bowl.  Use caution when whisking- you want the clumps to disappear but you don’t want to over whisk.  When the ingredients are combined in batter form add your herbs to the batter and fold them in gently.  Drop a small amount of water onto skillet to see if its hot enough (you’ll know because it’ll sizzle and evaporate).  Take a small amount of butter and olive oil combo (1:1) and grease the pan, even though its non-stick. 

Next pour enough batter onto the hot pan, so that when you move the pan around to make sure the crepe is covering the entire bottom, it’s close to being paper thin.  THIN is IN. who wants a soggy crepe with uncooked eggs in the center? pas moi.  Remember, make sure the entire pan is covered, crepes are not pancakes.  They’re a combo of an omelette and a pancake! When you see the edges browning, add your crumbled goat and feta cheese to the middle of the crepe and fold it over as you would an omelette.  Make sure to brown both sides to ensure the proper melting of the delicious cheese in the center.  Then remove from pan and VOILA! you have your savory crepe! Eat with a glass of almond soy milk and fresh fruit.

mmm yummay.
enfin

 

limonata rose

i want to have a tea party with tea cakes and lemonade.

big sky/ norms east end

i planned on going to sillys this past evening, but as i was halfway there, i remembered that they’re closed on monday nights! so needless to say i was upset, because i was intent on eating pollitos et fritas and a chocolate milkshake! but i had to adapt, so A & i treked to norms east end and gorged on some onion rings (which are good when you first have them, but after the second ring, you’re sick of the taste).  i got my staple- grilled chicken sandwich on flatbread with mayo, bacon, american, and tomato lettuce. it was alright, but i’m so sick of their food.  A got chicken tacos which were over-dressed. i suppose this means we’re taking a norms hiatus- which is okay, we only go to visit jasp and frosted flake.

for lunch we went to big sky in the mkt house, and i got a rather delicious grilled cheese with swiss, avacado, and bacon… huh, guess i ate a lot of bacon today.  it was perfectly panini-pressed and crispy and gooey.  i have reservations for street & co on friday the 11th at 8pm with isaac, and i’m cooking a good amount this week.  i perused the aisles at whole foods tonight and bought some nice flank steak, chicken, endives, peaches, almond soy milk, granola, avacados, strawberries, and goat cheese (also cukes, carrots, lettuce, etc.)

i’m making fajitas tomorrow, and i’ll post the recipes in the evening. look forward to a summer fruit cobbler/or maybe cake!

-enfin