Jim Dixon

He'll be reading from his new novel Bobby Gold at Powell's (1005 W Burnside) Friday, 5/23, 7:30-9 pm, and at Murder by the Book (3210 SE Hawthorne) Sunday, 5/25, at 5 pm. Mention eGullet and get blank stares from the crowd (but a knowing nod, and maybe a smoke, from Tony). Jim

I make a lemon verbena sorbet...the recipe's in this thread if you scroll down a bit. Jim

I saved a nickel buying at locally-owned Kitchen Kaboodle. Jim

I've been meaning to post something about these Kyocera slicers for awhile... I've got both and I like them much more than my benriner...easier to use and clean, and they work better. They're not adjustable, but the slice thickness is fine for almost anything you want to cut into a lot of thin slices. The julienne version makes nice, tiny little matchsticks. Jim

As I understand this issue, industrially produced oils (the oils that require high heat, pressure, and chemical exraction) are highly susceptible to oxidation. They become rancid, or oxidized, quickly, and by consuming them you also ingest the free radicals that have been linked to some health problems (the reason foods high in antioxidants are widely agreed to be healthful). The possible traces of proven carcinogens like hexane is another reason for avoiding industrial fats. Jim

I grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, and Umpqua was the local dairy products provider (the name is from a local Indian tribe and is applied to a river, bank, and several other things in Douglas County). I was pleased when the ice cream started to appear in the Portland area about 10 years ago. New Seasons Markets carry it, and I think the local QFC also has it. Our favorite flavor is Espresso Madness, coffee ice cream with bits of chocolate-covered espresso beans. Jim

Copper River salmon prices this weekend at New Seasons Markets in Portland... sockeye $16.99/lb chinook (or king) $22.99/lb I talked with the folks at Briney Sea (based in Tumwater, but they sell at the Portland Farmers Market), and they said prices should drop a little by next week as more fish come on the market. The first catch was from a limited entry, 4-hour fishery. Jim

I roast peppers right on my gas burners, with a propane torch (the very first food story I had published was about using my x-country waxing torch for roasting peppers), or on the grill if I have a fire going. Or I buy them already roasted at the Farmers Mkt in the late summer from a grower with one of those rotating roasting drum. They freeze well. When I make rellenos, I like to spoon a chili-sized bed of the egg batter (yolks beaten with a little flour, whites whipped stiff and folded in) into the hot skillet (with a thin layer of oil), lay the stuffed chili onto it, then spoon a bit more over the top. When the bottom is set and browned, I use a fork and spatula to carefully turn the relleno over. The result is puffy, slightly crisped exterior, which is most like the rellenos I've eaten in restaurants. I don't think it works to try to dip the stuffed chili and deep-fry it. Jim

Ellen, That looks and sounds a whole lot better than my first hike down the Rogue. I was a 10-year old Boy Scout carrying an uncomfortable canvas frame pack filled with the very latest in freeze-dried cuisine (since this was in 1963, the 'very latest' was almost inedible). Boating is my preferred method for going down canyon these days. One of the beauties of white water rafting is the enormous amount of fresh food you can take along. Have you ever made a side trip to Rogue Valley Creamery? I haven't, but they make one of my favorite blue cheeses. Jim

A lot of Italian recipes (I mean those written by Italians) use 'wine glass' as a unit. Jim

I'm guessing the weather has something to do with it. A couple of weeks ago we had that little teaser of a warm spell, and that may have caused the morels to pop up. It's been much colder down here, and I'm guessing around Seattle, so maybe the mushrooms are just waiting. Morels are the one mushroom I've never gone out looking for. We have much better luck with the fall (or late summer) mushrooms, but I'm also more familiar with the kind of places I'm likely to find chanterelles, boletes, and oysters. Jim

Or maybe tomorrow. If Gene has more I'll be eating that pasta, or something close, again soon. Jim

If you play this chicken backwards on your turntable you hear a secret recipe with 11 herbs and spices. Jim

I posted some pictures on this thread. These big boys came from over near Joseph in NE Oregon. Jim

I beg to differ, o salty one. I'll brine (of course) boneless, skinless thighs (Jin: Gah!), then grill them quickly over a hot fire. They're thin enough to cook quickly, and they get a nice crispy char even without the skin. Jim

We rarely eat just breasts, but do buy a lot of whole chicken, and the breast is just sort of there. So I brine, too. I'm with the klinkster when it comes to simplified brine. Based on our earlier brine threads, I use 1/4 cup kosher salt to 4 cups water. With this less salty brine, you can leave the chicken (breasts, thighs, or the whole damn thing) in the brine overnight or all week. Jim ps...brined some rabbit hindquarters this week...but that's another thread

I'd say the flavor was about the same as the smaller morels. I sliced the halves shown above into strips about 1/2 inch wide, and I liked the texture of these a lot. The smaller morels I usually cook whole or just sliced in half lengthwise (not a bad idea...there are often bugs inside). Jim

I use them interchangeably with other mild greens like chard or spinach. I often don't bother with blanching (which I like to do in the microwave...greens in covered bowl with a splash of water...less water to squeeze out) if the greens are young and tender. I've sauteed them with shallots for a frittata and added them to risotto. I also use them to make these fried green things. I've also added the chopped stems to meatballs... Jim

We were at the Seattle World's Fair when I was a kid, and all I really remember eating is the Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. But we did go up. Last year at Bumbershoot I walked over to the base and read the posters about it being the 40th anniversary (World's Fair in 1962, this was 2002...math seems right), so I went up again. Didn't eat anything, but the views are still cool. Next trip, 2042. Jim

we're just messing with your mind, man... Jim

Katie, I always thought that young girls were taught to fart quietly back in grade school...you know, those times when the boys and girls are separated to watch gender-specific 'personal hygeine' films. But boys (and we're all still boys, no matter what anybody claims) embrace the fart, glory in it, and occasionally light one up (hint: keep your pants on). Years of practice are all it takes to get the timbre, range, and volume you seek. Jim

Yes...both at SW 10th and Alder and in Old Town at NW Davis and 5th. I haven't had any of their pastries for awhile, but they used to be good. The focus seems to be more on cakes. Before the bakery boom of the last few years, Three Lions was one of the few places to make high-quality, European-style pastries. Jim

I should've noted that the two morels (one is sliced in half) weighed in at just under a half-pound and cost about $9. When they have these at the market, and it's only for a few weeks in the spring, I usually buy a few every Saturday and just go home and eat them right away...sauteed in olive oil with a piece of toast. These big ones were sort of thick and had a meaty, sunstantial quality. I ate the entire half-pound myself and din't regret it one bit. Jim

Well, maybe as big as your fist... that's an 8-inch knife. I got these from Gene Theil, potato grower to the stars, who drives in from Joseph to the Portland Farmers Market every weekend (that's about 6 hours one-way, maybe more in Gene's old suburban loaded with a couple tons of spuds). He picks a few mushrooms on the side. Last year's fires are having an early and impressive impact on the eastern Oregon morel crop. They love burned-over Ponderosa and lodgepole pine forests. I sliced these, cooked them in olive oil and butter for a few minutes, added a splash of wine (an inexpensive Portugese vinho verde) and reduced it to almost nothing, tossed in a few shallots, scraped the last half-cup or so of creme fraiche out of the French jelly glass I use to make it, and sprinkled in a little parsley. Then spooned in some penne, heated it for another few minutes, and ate. Jim

We used to like pickled jalapenos with cheese doritos, best eaten on a sandy river beach leaning against a sun-warmed rubber boat and drinking very cold beer. Something about that hot-cheesy thing, though. Jim