Jim Dixon

Jin...I'm so glad you were the first to post about your traif psuedo latkes, because now I can tell you about mine. While I use the basic latke technique described on my own secular latkes page, I will call these 'potato pancakes' out of respect for my Jewish friends both here and at home. I used some Yukon Gold spuds, mostly because that's what was available, to make these pork and cheese potato pancakes (one friend described them as "traif squared"). To the he basic latke recipe, add a handful of diced prosciutto and some fresh grated parm..I used shallot instead of onion, too. Fry in olive oil. To commemorate our own mixed household, last night I made another batch with chopped leftover Thansgiving turkey and added some leftover mashed potatoes as well. Not bad, but you could hardly taste the turkey. I ate a few with cranberry-tangerine relish, but still prefer my old standby, ketchup. Jim

I wish I could've made it for those beans...I grew cannellini last summer, and I couldn't believe I forgot to plant some this year..d'oh! This was the first year for this special market, so I guess I can cut the market mgmt a little slack. But it wasn't very well organized. I had folks walking through the back of our booth all day because the corner entry was blocked by another vendor. The founder and long-time president of the board just stepped down, and I had a conversation with the incoming pres. that made me think some changes may be coming, at least in terms of my own participation. Currently I can only sell olive oil on special festival days (because it's imported and I don't sell anything else...if I teamed up with a baker or something similar I'd be legit). Other board members and many vendors have told me they'd support a little loosening of the vendor rules, but that a hard-core group wants to keep a "local only" flavor. I don't have a problem with that...I spend a lot of money at the market and go through a protracted withdrawal every winter. But I do think there's room for products (like, of course, olive oil) that compliment the local stuff without competing. And I don't think a national chain like Il Fornaio should be selling bread when we have so many other good bakers here. But even with all its problems, I still like the market and will be there next year. For the winter, I'll be buying most of our produce from Big City Produce (just off N Mississippi on Sumner, a block north of Alberta near Jefferson HS). Not just because it's owned by a good friend, but because they have q nice selection and good prices (and the cafe inside is good, too). Jim

This is what I remember about white kings, too. It wasn't all that long ago that they were only eaten by fishermen and their friends, since nobody would buy a white-fleshed salmon. Jim

Blue Heron, You're right about fat content...according tothis site a 3 0z serving of chinook (and who's only going to eat 3 oz?) has 11.5 grams of fat, while the same serving of sockeye has 9 (it's the second hghest. But sockeye does have the highest level of omega 3 fatty acids. As to the wild steelhead in S. Cal....not sure. Most fishing regs are set by States, so maybe it's okay down there. I just know that here steelhead aren't fished commercially. Jim

I grew up fishing for silvers and chinooks in southern Oregon. The commercial fisherman also called one of those splitters, but I can't remember which. Wild steelhead can't be fished commercially, which is why they aren't sold in the markets. The tribes are allowed to sell them sometimes, so you can occasionally buy them out of pickups in the Columbia Gorge. Steelhead used to be considered the same species as rainbow trout, but sometime in the last decade they were designated a separate species. Sockeye, the salmon with the most fat, is still my favorite. Jim

I grew up pulling Dungeness crabs out of rings on the piers in several little Oregon coast towns. We would boil a pot of seawater on the beach and toss them in. When the shells are pink (probably about 10 minutes, but any west coast cookbook should have cooking times), pull them and cool. Pull off the shell, clean (and while some folks like the roe, I don't really care for it) under running water, and pile on a table spread with newspaper. Use pliers, nutcrackers, or other heavy-duty squeezers to crack the leg pieces, and nut picks or crab forks to extract the meat. Eaters usually divide into two camps: Those who pick and save, then eat when the crab meat pile reaches some criticval mass, and those who eat while they pick. I'm in the latter category. While fresh Dungeness is sweet, I still like a little cocktail sauce and lemon. If you ever go crabbing, save the little red rock crabs that most people toss back. Picking the meat out of them is even more work, but they really taste great. Jim

HB and Trillium...good to see you both Saturday It was a madhouse...by the time I got away from my stand at around noon to buy some vegetables, everything was gone but a few pumpkins. But we did sell a lot of olive oil, and that makes it easier to bring in more and keep my prices reasonable. So thanks to anyone else who came by and bought a bottle or two. Jim

HB If we PNW-ers are one thing, it's nice, so sorry if my comment about "alledged lurkers" struck you the wrong way. And I'm with you that food cooked at home is usually the best. Laurie The flyer from the FM says that there will be a few "holiday" items at this special market...wreaths, stuffing mix from artisan bakers, etc...but I think it'll be the usual vendors, mostly farmers, with the end of the season produce. Squash, cabbage (and other cruciferous vegetables...a farmer on the coast has been bringing some amazing cauliflower that I've been roasting, natch), apples, pears, and spuds. Not sure if Gene (aka the Potato Man) will be driving over from Joseph (6 hrs one way), but he has some of the best potatoes anywhere, especially the little fingerlings called le ratte. Could also be a good time to find some wild mushrooms. I haven't been out with my friends who hunt them lately, but we had that long dry October with a bit of rain lately, so there may be more chanterelles and oyster mushrooms popping up. And David is right about those oysters...this will be a good chance to get a couple of dozen for Thanksgiving. I really like to build a small fire and heat them until they just open. Sitting outside on a cool fall day drinking a malty seasonal beer (Bridgeport Ebenzer is really good) and eating oysters right off the fire is something to be thankful for. Schielke All I have now is Don Alfonso, but I've been busy sending euros to Italy to secure some of the current harvest. The producers tell me that despite some unusual weather (dry spring, lots of rain over a short period in early summer) the olives were good and the oil tastes great. It usually takes several weeks to coordinate the producers, arrange for shipment, deal with my customs broker, etc, but I hope to have new oil from Umbria, Tuscany, and the Sorrentine Peninsula (Don Alfonso) here sometime in late December. Marco Bettini is also shipping me a few liters by express freight, and I've been talking with Cathy Whims about doing some kind of dinner with a new oil theme. We haven't gotten specific yet because I wanted to make sure we had the oil, but as soon we work out the details I'll post them here. Fratelli does an oil dinner every year, and while they've been good, I've always felt the focus should be on more traditional foods that really highlight the flavor of the new oil (like plain bruschetta with just garlic and oil, maybe some beans, ribollita, and things like that). So really, stop by and say hello.... Jim

The special Thanksgiving market will be the last chance this year to buy from your favorite growers. The market won't be on the Park Blocks, but in a parking lot a few blocks down (between SW 4th and 5th, Montgomery and Harrison). They plan on erecting tents to cover the aisles between booths, but the weather looks like it will actually be dry and unseasonably warm (if you think 55 F is warm). I'll be selling olive oil, too. I'm out of everything except Don Alfonso, so that's all I'll have to taste. I still don't really believe that there's anybody else from Portland here (except maybe Trillium and I know what she looks like), so you alledged lurkers can prove your existence by stopping by and saying hello. Jim

You are correct, sir! Trillium, this was also a case (as I tried to explain) of local chauvinism and a bit of journalistic license. Of course I overlooked Seattle (and anyplace else in our neighbor to the north) because we Oregonians generally feel smugly superior to Washingtonians. And there probably isn't any dim sum between Portland and SF, unless it's like the sushi joint in Arlen TX as portrayed on a recent King of the Hill rerun (the chef says things like, "the salmon is still thawing out," and, "the tuna smells a little funny, but hell, it all smells funny to me," and serves French fries and gravy, too). Floor finally done, most of the stuff moved back into the kitchen...I did nearly blow the house up when I reconnected the gas line and heard this loud swooshing sound...realized that the flex house, on my old Wedgewood for the 20 years I've had it, finally spit open. Took me two trips to the hardware store to get a replacement. Jim

Haven't been for awhile, but reports are that it's still good... Alle Testiere (Calle del Mondo Novo 5801, tel/fax 522 7220) more info about this and some bacari we like on my site: venice food And a friend is putting together some interesting tours with his partner, a Venetian native...they plan on spending a day in each sestiere. Email me for more info jdixon@realgoodfood.com Jim

I've been guilty of writing those very same words (maybe I should check this guy's site and see if anything else sounds familiar). But it's mostly my Portland chauvinism talking, since I've never eaten any dim sum in Seattle ever. If I was there I'd be with you at Jumbo's...we should drive up anyway, since the guy who did our kitchen floors (very nice old growth fir installed when the house was built in 1924) tells us that even though he's done we need to let the finish cure another 3 days without touching it, then another 10 days of very gentle treatment...which means my stove and refrigerator stay in the dining room until next weekend. My friends Marco (of Basta's here in P-town) has been telling me about the amazing dishes at Fong Chong that aren't on the regular menu or the Chinese menu, but are made for the kitchen staff and a few regulars who are insistent enough with the servers. He says if you ask enough, they'll bring you crispy quali that will make you weep. Next time I visit Fong Chong, I'm going with Marco. Jim

I don't think milk soaking for capers is necessary. I even use them unsoaked if whatever I'm making needs the salt, which picks up a lot of flavor from the capers. I'm not getting a kickback, but I'd recommend Esperya again for salt-packed capers...theirs are from Pantelleria and cost about $13 or so for a half-kilo bag...and they keep pretty much forever. Jim

Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk, not water) and enough saltines (and only Premium brand) to make a thick mush. And yes, I'll still eat it, but not very often. Jim

This was in a recent email from Beatrice Ughi, head of Esperya USA: "Our Anchovies from Cetara, a little village near more glamorous Amalfi, in Campania are packed in salt and ready to fillet, the only anchovy worth talking about. You fillet it, under a little stream of water in the sink, opening it in two halves with your thumb like a little book whose pages have stuck together. Remove the backbone, scrap away the few bits of remaining innards, and you are left with two gorgeous fillets. Too much work? The whole thing takes a minute. The flesh is substantial, the texture meaty, the flavor pungent and fresh." She also described her favorite childhood snack, bread with butter and anchovy. Even if you never order anything from them (and right now they have some great sea salt that's about $4 for a quart container), get on the mailing list so youcan read Beatrice's emails. I like the salt-packed ones better, but they are hard to find (Adam, thanks for the tip on keeping in air-tight container...I've kept them in the tin in the fridge and they do dry out). More often I buy the larger cans of oil-packed anchovies, usually from Morocco but sometimes Italian, and keep what I don't use right away stored under olive oil the fridge. Even if you don't like the taste of straight anchovy (and what the hell's wrong with you, anyway?), add them to stew, sauce, or anything with a strong, savory flavor and you get a subtle complexity that adds more than seems possible from the little fish. Jim

Bartlet pear with Point Reyes blue (or Oregon Caveman blue or almost any blue cheese) Newton apple with Bandon full cream extra sharp cheddar either of those fruits with good Parmigiano or grana peach with mascarpone my quince paste (which is sort of like a thick fruit leather) with the Bandon pecorino with honey and if I can't find or don't have any good fruit, I'm with Wilfred...just cheese Jim

A few more ideas... Pastaworks (on SE Hawthorne and in City Market on NW 21st) has a good selection of meats and cheeses...also composed salads and other stuff that would work well for a party. New Seasons (several locations around Portland) also has a nice deli section. Ken's Artisan Bakery (NW 21st and Flanders) for bread or rolls. Jim

chocochris thanks...I fixed it but here it is again jim

one word: beer baste (okay, 2 words...or 3: brine) Despite my wife's pleas, I continue to make almost exactly the same thing for Thanksgiving year after year. Click for complete instructions. Jim

It's also a good idea to put the whole cooking apparatus on a sheet of plywood (3/4 inch CDX works great). The hot oil will kill anything green it hits, and it'll stain everything else. Of course, if you've already got a nice grease spot going from a leaky rear seal, it just gives it another dimension. Jim

Friday... salad of Asian pear, celery leaves, blue cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt (stole concept from Kenny Giambalvo at Bluehour...he uses apple, no blue cheese) lamb shanks braised in red wine, verjus, beef stock with carrot, onion, celery slow-baked Corona beans with sage, garlic, olive oil celery gratin Sunday... leek, potato, celery root soup with creme fraiche Jim

Here's how I understand the rancidity issue (and I'm not a food scientist)... Polyunstaturated fats oxydize readily (oxydixation = rancidity), especially when exposed to heat or light (and, of course, oxygen). The majority of edible oil sold is refined and subjected to high temperatures in the process, leading to some degree of oxydation. These same oils are also deodorized. Some researchers believe that refined oils arrive at the market with a certain degree of rancidity, but it's not the gross rancidity that you can detect by taste. Expeller-pressed oils can become rancid more quickly and should be kept in the refrigerator. So-called 'cold-pressed' oils may have been heated to temperatures near 200 F (there's no legal definition of the term), so they may also be more susceptible to oxydation. Extra virign olive oil made from less ripe fruit has high levels of polyphenol compounds that are natural antioxidants and will slow the rate of oxydation (generally, the more 'peppery' the oil tastes, the higher the polyphenol content), and doesn't need to be refrigerated unless you keep it around for a long time. Jim

Aluminum doesn't require seasoning, and indeed won't really take it, like cast iron. And the whole cleaning and seasoning deal doesn't have to be complicated. I use my cast iron daily, and the skillets lose their seasoning all the time...if you cook something a bit acidic, like anything with tomatoes or, surprisingly, wild mushrooms (dry sauteed), it can remove the stuff that's down in the open pores of the metal. But all it takes is cooking in the same pan with a bit of fat to re-season. The only thing you really must do, at least if you want to avoid rust, is dry cast iron after washing (and I use dish soap on mine all the time...if the pan is really oily, it's the only way to get it clean). The easiest way is by putting the pan back on a hot burner. I leave it until I start to smell something burning, wonder aloud several times, "what the hell is that smell?" and finally remember that I'm drying a pan. Jim

You're right, tommy...Taylor doesn't have the S piced part of Spam...I was referring more to the 'chopped pork product' qualities. And because the sellers out here ship it by FedEx or something, it costs quite a bit. I think I paid $14 for a roll or chub or chunk or whatever the terminology is...in Seattle, that would buy me a lot of salami at Salume, and even here in stumptown I can get imported mortadella. Jim ps...but I would still go to Jersey just for Corrado's Market in Paterson

Blue Heron, At the risk of offending everybody in NJ and NY who grew up eating and loving Taylor ham, I have to say that it's pretty much just Spam dressed up and without the can. My wife and the rest of the Jersey in-laws would go on and on about Taylor ham and how great it was, blah, blah, blah...so when I saw it at Legends (which used to be called something else, but I can't remember what...the owner's a body builder from Philly and does make a decent eggplant parm sandwich as well as a good meatball sub) I bought some and brought it home. Just like Spam, a sort of pressed roll of pork product, but without all that jellied stuff. If you didn't grow up eating it, Taylor ham doesn't have too much appeal. Jim