thanksgiving take one + brief comments on FIGA

THANKSGIVING TAKE ONE! celebrated with A last evening.  our menu consisted of:

pecan, cornbread, cranberry stuffing and roasted turkey breast

carrots sauteed in wine, champagne vinegar, shallots, and butter

roasted butternut squash, courtesy of new york times

homemade cranberry sauce

homemade apple sauce

tri-colored buttermilk mashed potatoes

warmed dinner rolls

pecan pie

twisted wine syrah, 2008

this is the first thanksgiving we are not spending together.  it’s relatively sad, but to say the least, monday evening was great, because it was intimate and we listened to the amelie soundtrack as we do every holiday dinner.

now i’m a bit sad.  i went to FIGA tonight and it was incredible.  of course, my camera died the second we walked in, so no real review for now.  but let’s debrief quickly.  on our tab was: sev crusted scallops, the wild boar rendang, meatloaf with garlic mashed fingerlings, tandoori chicken with couscous cranberry pilaf, a trio of creme brulee (orange cardamom, lemongrass, and chocolate espresso), ice cream cookie sandwich with praline ice cream, and a pot of french roast coffee.  EVERYTHING WAS FANTASTIC.  the rendang was comforting, warm, flavourful, and exactly what i expected.  the scallop was cooked medium rare- i would have preferred it a bit more cooked, but it was tasty nonetheless.  the tandoori chicken was perfectly seasoned and tender, the meatloaf was savory, warm, and perfect for any november night.  OBVIOUSLY the creme brulee was divine, and i was pleased with the ice cream cookie too.  a real review will meander onto vin et grub before the new year, i promise.

a summer of food & bev.

this summer, like any of the past summers, has been spent doing various things.  one thing however, that became evident from early on, was the idea of indulging on delicious, quality, succulent food.  that was my goal, and i am pretty sure i can safely say i accomplished it.  i went without a camera for a mere 4 days in korea, but of course, those four days produced the best meals i consumed over the course of two weeks- so keep in mind, while i do feature delicious korean food in the post below, my favorite dishes (bossam & udon with soybean sauce) are not described.  they will be… once i get back to korea and take the photos i should have taken on my four day hiatus.  this compilation is self-serving, just so i can see a very small modpodge of the food i consumed over the course of summer 2010 (best one in my lifetime)… thus far.

clearly i fell in love with big bowls of greek yoghurt with wild raspberries and homemade granola in pemaquid.

and paella, chalk full of chorizo, fresh green peas, tender chicken, and roma tomatoes- created by the lovely melissa.

oh right, the paella? cooked on an outdoor stone oven… by the ocean… at our private campsite.

who can forget the classic silly’s double bacon cheeseburger? it’s how i grew up to be a healthy girl.

isaac branched out with a silly version of chicken parmesean… he’s a bit braver than i tend to be at silly’s.

summer initiation party, with meredith- hosted june 4th.  on the menu- avacado, endive, and daikon salad, cucumbers and goat cheese, parmesean rosemary ciabatta, farafelle with scallops and pernod sauce,  & sauteed brussel sprouts with proscuitto.

two of my foodiest buds- m and isaac- joining me for a little bit of hipsterdom, on top of our favorite lookout.  pbr’s included.

another group of foodies- eli, who also hails from the wunderbar 207 & juju bear, who resides in hawaii.  they helped me on my seoul adventure, with isaac.

bibim bap in jenjou.  probably the best bibim bap i’ve ever consumed.  perfectly fried egg, shredded carrots, ample amounts of bean sprouts, thinly sliced mushroom, and lots of yummy spinach.  not to mention two helpings of red pepper sauce.

don katsu.  though it’s traditionally from japan, the underground marketplace in seoul, makes a mean version of this soul-soothing meal.  the pork was fried in a way that no katsu-places in the US of A could ever replicate, the salad had an apple/melon dressing… oddly enough, i ate all of it, there were perfectly pickled radishes and carrots, delicious kimchi, and of course a nice helping of ricerice.  can you believe this was classified as a “quick” 20 minute meal…?

i certainly miss all the food stands of seoul- especially their dried seafood ones.  the itty bitty octopus/squids are really crunchy and delicious.

on the way to the bhuddist temple- the salad was really delicious, and the bulgoki was nice too.

best bbq chicken kabob ever.  ordered as spicy as you can make it, and i cried for about 10 minutes, out of both pure ecstacy/delight and pain.  i will be making many trips to seoul for this sole (seoul) purpose… hehehe, pun… did you get it?

i suppose i was right about my prediction of the rose.  it was delicious- especially after i left it to age another few months.  in combination with stale pbrs and a hot summer night, i thought the wine made me a bit classier than usual.

my typical breakfast- vegan cran and nut muffin, strawberries, mango juice dilluted, and passionfruit guava icelandic yoghurt.

you should await volume 2.  more photos to come.

PS: if my spelling is off, blame it on the ah ah ah alcohol and all of those jello-shots i did yesterday.

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.

oh pure love

living in portland, maine is a foodie’s dream.  one is surrounded by restaurants, bakeries, eateries, and cafes galore.  growing up in this environment, as well as in cambridge, has made me quite the critic.  most sixteen year olds prefer their kraft mac and cheese, but i enjoy my tempeh and fiddleheads thank you very much.

in addition to my love of food- i love to cook.  i’ve been in the kitchen since an early age- 4 or 5, and i can’t go a day without spending sometime in the kitchen.  currently i’m torn regarding whether or not i should attend culinary school, but hopefully i’ll figure out my aspirations within the next year or too.

i’ll be reviewing portland restaurants (as well as the rather common cambridge/boston eatery as well) and posting recipes.

just to be clear, i really like my wines aged and my veggies raw.  please don’t confuse me with a vegetarian. because i would die without a healthy helping of duck & proscuitto.  baking is boring, but rather rewarding.  cooking ith alcohol and butter is the only way.  and in my kitchen there are three possible answers to any question i may pose: yes chef, no chef, i don’t know chef.  best analogy about me in the kitchen? she’s a tornado who leaves behind gourmet presents.

-miss e.