Portland for the Weekend

One of my good friends had a business trip in Portland and I convinced her to stay for the weekend so I could come and visit. It was a quick trip but we ate, drank, and even saw a little outside of Portland.

Arriving at around 11 AM on Friday, it was perfect---dropped off my luggage and grabed a cup of coffee at Stumptown, an institution in Portland. As I was waited in the long line, I noticed the calmness and politeness of folks and people relaxing---reading magazines, working on their laptops, and chatting over coffee. I wasn't in LA anymore.

Next we strolled around the city where we saw tons of billboards of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) so much so that I thought it had originated there. That’s not the case as I read in the NY Times, apparently Portland was the place where PBR was revived by local Hipsters just within the last decade. We also ran into shacks and shacks of food stands. I was amazed to see blocks of food stands not trucks but stands. I didn’t know where to begin to eat so opted for photos---seemed like Asian cuisine dominated the scene – Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese

We decided to lunch at Clyde Common connected to the Ace Hotel. The highlight dish was the Heirloom Beets with Frisee and Gorgonzola cheese.

To digest, we took a stroll through Pearl District and stopped in at Bridgeport Brewery for a testing---$8 for 8 tastings! My favorite was the ESB.

This was just the teaser for the next few hours as we headed to the Brewfest by the river. Trucks and kegs of all sorts, along with beef aficionados. I could handle only a few tastings.

After a short rest, we were ready for dinner at 7 PM heading off to south Portland to Pok Pok, written up by Food and Wine and Gourmet Magazine, specializing in Southeast Asian food---a very popular spot in PDX. Located in a craftsman style house, there was already a 45 minute wait when we arrived. We walked across the street to their sister restaurant, Whiskey Soda Lounge. This is a brilliant marketing scheme as there are no reservations taken at Pok Pok ---the cocktails are Thai inspired. For the meal, we ordered a protein feast of Thai pork ribs, Vietnamese style wings and game hen, and fried catfish! Sorry all my pics turned out too dark to post.

Next morning, we decided to rent a car and drive down the Columbia River Gorge. Before our road trip we headed to Kenny and Zuke’s – a Jewish style delicatessen. This was one of my favorite meals---the pastrami was out of this world and as were the potato latkes. They are also known for their Bialy. Full and ready to hike off our food, we arrived at Multnomah Trails for a 3 mile trek. The pictures speak for itself ---beautiful.

Continuing along our drive, we visited the Bonneville Dam, Salmon Hatcheries and had a breather/photo op at the Horsetail Trails. On our way back, we stopped at Edgfield, what I like to call a Disneyland for adults – a place of pubs, restaurants, a winery and movie theater.




When we got back to the hotel, it took us a few hours to decide upon dinner but we chose Ned Ludd. I didn’t eat much that night as the sun and dehydration took the best out of me. Overall, it was quick trip to Portland but action packed. I would definitely come back again for the hiking and pastrami. I hear that wine tasting in the Willamette Valley is fun too, can't wait for the next trip!

Cooking and Cooking - New York, NY

Every year work allows me to take a cooking class whether I like or not. This year I chose the ICE in New York City for purely selfish reasons. I wanted to visit friends and eat great food!




Each day we studied and cooked a different cuisine....deja vu of Culinary school all over. We sampled a new restaurant for lunch every day too, yes, I'm spoiled. One day, we visited the Union Square Market and cooked soley what was bought there including Rabbit.




Each night, I came back and cooked more for my friends in their lovely Upper Westside apt. The rooftop is amazing. Check out the pics, enjoy!






Eating on the rooftop

More eating on the rooftop

Scapes at Union Square Market, NY

Aji Sauce that I pounded for 2 hours in class

Known as Lapin in french, Conejo in spanish, Rabbit in english

Farmer's market raw salad

Chickpea fritters

Stuffed squash with Feta cheese, Mint, Scapes

Veal Saltimbocca

Lunch at Breton Bar, NY

Braised Lamb in Crepes w/Fiddlehead Ferns

French day in class - Pommes Anna, Asparagus Quiche amongst a few

Showing off my carving skillzz - tomato rose

Where in the US have I been????

Sorry, I have been on hiatus of late. Blogging just doesn’t seem to take precedence these days! Okay, where did I last leave off? Oh yes, a stint with Chef Ludo at Ludobites. Sad to say I only interned a handful of times due to work travels. Nevertheless, I learned a great deal from Chef Ludo and met great people along the way! I'm incredibly grateful to work in the kitchen with him!




I met Chef Dan who showed me the ropes at the hot appetizer station, you can follow his ventures in life and at Ludobites 5.0 @chefdrm on twitter. Holly was another intern and has an awesome blog. She later helped me my very own catering gig which was super fun.






As for my work travels, I managed to incoporate a few breaks in between. May landed me in Stafford, Virginia for a wedding. My old college roommate, Jason and his bride, Shannon had a beautiful wedding. Give it up for moonshine and nothing but green pastures.




Old Plantation in Stafford, VA

Jason, (L), who got married and enjoying moonshine

Next, I headed to Santa Cruz and San Francisco where the weather was gorgeous.

Then back home where I got to soak up a Dodgers game!

My dear friend, Esther whom I studied in Spain with visited early June. Her and husband are from Holland and did a mini tour of the US. Los Angeles was a stop and of course, I had them over for dinner. It was awesome catching up and meeting Tim. It made rooting for the Netherlands in the World Cup so much fun!

Tim and Esther visiting from Holland

June took me to New York for a cooking class, for work and fun. I cooked for friends and enjoyed a hot week in the city. One request was to eat at Momofuku for the famous Bo Ssam feast. I was not let down.

Momofuku's Pork Belly Steamed Buns

The Pork Butt

Accoutrements of the Bo Ssam Feast

One snug package--- the Bo ssam

Wall Street

Empire State Building

More pictures and stories to come...

Ludo Bites 4.0 and Chef Ludo

I've been invited to 'stage' or intern in Chef Ludo Lefebvre's kitchen for the next 2 months. Most Los Angelenos are very familiar with Ludo Bites, see here.

After culinary school in Philadelphia and working at Savona, I don't get to be in a live kitchen that much these days. Since I have my 'other' job as a Culinary Scientist I can only offer my services a few times a week. Chef Ludo has been more than generous with my schedule.

As many of you know, I continually challenge myself by traveling to other countries not only to learn about the culture but also cook. 2 years ago, I worked in a restaurant and an organic farm in New Zealand. While that was fun and all, I just didn't get a lot out of it. They use great fresh ingredients but not necessarily great technique. The best experience I had was training for 2 weeks at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I want to learn more about french technique and cuisine so this summer I'd plan to 'stage' in the South of France. This is where Chef Ludo comes into play.

I met Chef Ludo at 'Battle of Fried Chicken' at the Foundry on Melrose. As I was leaving Chef Ludo thanked us for coming in. I asked him if he could recommend a place to stage in France. And he immediately said, why don't you stage in my kitchen? I was thrilled and immediately jumped at the opportunity! And voila here I find myself in the midst of Ludo Bites 4.0.

It's only been 3 nights but in those 3 nights, I have learned so much. I'm looking forward to this adventure and to think I didn't even have to travel out of LA! More to come.... In the meantime, don't forget to catch Chef Ludo on Top Chef Masters this Wednesday, 4/21.

Swiss Raclette Party! What is it?

Picture from http://www.raclette.com.au/

Table set up before guests arrive

Different garnishes of sweet and pickled things

Tray before it goes on griller, that's paprika on top!

Melted raclette poured on potatoes!

A few months ago, some friends approached me about having a Raclette party at my digs. They explained to me that I didn't have to cook and that they'd bring all the wine! I'm IN!!!








One of our friends, Miriam is from Switzerland and wanted to share a lesson in Raclette parties with us. I had no idea what this would entail so I did a bit of research beforehand. The website that came up; www.raclette.com.au didn't explain much. I even pulled up images on google (see first picture above). I'd just have to be patient, let go of all inhibitions and appreciate what Miriam was cooking!








Miriam arrived early to set up and I was immediately fascinated by her raclette 'tools'. Out came a grill type thing with 6 small individual trays for 'melting'. Once all the guests arrived we were treated to crab cakes and salad as a side since Raclette-ing is all about carbs and rich ingredients.








You start by decorating your individual trays with raclette cheese, mushrooms and choices of many pickled things such as cornichons, onions, jalapenos, top off with a few pineapple pieces for a touch sweetness. Then you stick your tray under the coils of the raclette grill and let it melt away! When the cheese starts bubbling and browning you know it's ready. Next, poor this goodness all over you potatoes. We were lucky enough to have enjoy a variety of salts courtesy of our friend/owner, Bronwyn of Spice Station in Silverlake. We lesiurely sprinkled Black sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, and everyones' favorite, Truffle salt all over our potatoes.

Overall, it was a very fun experience, especially since you can take your time and gab with friends for hours over a few bottles of wine. Thanks everyone who came, especially Miriam who taught me a new tradition!