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In Good Taste Cooking School Newsletter
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| Spring is here! |
April 2007 |
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Greetings!
We are celebrating our 9th anniversary this month (see coupon below); other things to look forward to this month:
- the opening of the Portland Farmers' Market (April 7)
- the return of our favourite spa chef, Michel Stroot
- the launch of the In Good Taste blog (yes, truly!)
- Brian Farrell's amazing photos of Africa
- And let's not forget that wonderful fund raiser, Taste of the Nation, on April 30. See you at the Oregon Convention Center.
I am also celebrating the arrival of Josie Ross who is helping me with this newsletter and our blog, just to mention a couple of the things she is doing. Josie is wonderful and I'm delighted to have her on board. |
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The African Collection
This spring we have increased the number of spices and flavorings to provide an expanded selection of exotic ingredients. One of the lines we are excited to include is Vann's African Spice Collection. There are no chemical additives, sugars, preservatives, fillers, MSG or salt in the spices or herbs. Additionally, all Vann's products are packaged and shipped within 90 days of harvest, so they are exceptionally fresh. The list includes spices such as Berbere, Peri Peri, Grains of Paradise, Penja pepper, Zahtar, and others. I grew up with many of these spices but not all of them, so this new line has given me a chance to explore spices from countries north of the equator.
The Berbere spice is an exotic blend of paprika, garlic, onion, and chili pepper. It complements eggs, potatoes, pasta, soups and stews. Josie found that it is especially suited as a spice rub when grilling. Since spring is the season for lamb, try her Grilled Lamb Chops with Berbere Spice Rub. Serve it with a lovely salad featuring the Grains of Paradise mixture. Related to cardamom, grains of paradise have a hot, peppery taste and are often used with eggplant and lamb. In this salad, traditional couscous is combined with dried fruit and a unique dressing. If those recipes whet your appetite for more, try using zahtar instead of oregano in your next batch of meatballs, or add to burgers when grilling.
© Brian Farrell
*A note about the photographs: These photographs were taken by a very talented South African professional photographer, Brian Farrell. (He's also my cousin, I'm proud to say!) |
The In Good Taste BLOG
Inspired by the changing season, we've decided it's time to write our thoughts down.With the arrival of spring, all things are renewed and refreshed. There are new ingredients available, new buds on the fledgling flowers, new projects in the works, and new ideas blossoming daily. It was time to start a blog. There are so many interesting things going on at In Good Taste each day, from new recipes and products to guest chefs, exciting classes, and new developments. The blog is a place to read about all that is happening, as well as to pose any questions that you may have. We are also excited about the launch of "By Your Request," a place for customers to request recipes from chefs, instructors, or just find a recipe for an unusual ingredient. Leave us your thoughts and comments, find inspiration, and get ideas from our daily notes. Find the blog at http://ingoodtasteblog.blogspot.com/, read it and comment. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Asian Adventures
"Enter the Exotic" with Robert Carmack's SE Asian flavors. Chef Carmack, a world traveler and resident of Sydney, brings Vietnamese and Thai cooking to Portland with Red Curry Chicken and Spicy Pork Salad. His class will begin with an optional tour to an Asian market so that you can learn about selecting essential ingredients. Chef Carmack will conduct a tasting of various products, including fish sauce, to introduce you to the foundations of SE Asian cooking. His cookbooks are filled with great information about Thai and Vietnamese cooking. The class is on April 7 at 6:00 pm. Click here for details.
After the in-depth tour of Thai and Vietnamese flavors, Join Chef Maya Klein on Sunday, April 8 for a hands-on Asian Inspired Grilling class. Learn to maximize flavor while minimizing time, all the while incorporating new ingredients into your grilling repertoire. Prepare fruits, vegetables, seafood, and meats to create dishes such as succulent Sesame Shrimp, luscious Lemongrass Halibut in a Silky Sauce and Cardamom Ice Cream with Grilled Bananas.
Don't miss these opportunities to expand your knowledge of Asian cuisine while enjoying fiery spices, aromatic herbs, and delicious dishes. |
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What's Fresh Now
Spring is such an exciting time of year for foodies. There are new ingredients available to brighten up our table, fresh flavors that please our palates, and long awaited luxuries like fresh morel mushrooms. For just a moment, the little wonders from the garden are at their peak and contain the essence of spring. The Portland farmer's market is a great resource for these delicacies; I can't wait until it opens on April 7th.
Ubiquitous spring ingredients, like asparagus, artichokes, arugula, baby lamb and spring peas are all welcome additions to our menus. Some of the less well known spring treats are fava beans, pea shoots, ramps, and fiddle head ferns. Pea tendrils taste like a cross between peas and spinach. Another spring treat is watercress, which can serve as a substitute for pea tendrils or spinach. Fennel, radishes, parsley, and garlic shoots add spice to the mix, while the wide variety of mushrooms inspires great recipes like bruschetta with wild mushrooms, a mushroom galette with Roquefort, a warming mushroom soup with fennel and ramps. I could go on, but I'd rather get cooking! -- Josie Ross
For dessert, instead of the traditional spring Rhubarb tart, sample some of the fresh cheese offerings from local Oregon producers. Juniper Grove Farms makes a creamy goat cheese with just enough tang that would pair perfectly with the Apple Cider Syrup from Queener Fruit Farms.
More of Josie's spring recipes:
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Want to learn how to cook -- really cook?
In this comprehensive 4-part series, chef-instructor Joseph Carey will guide you through the culinary basics. He will spend four evenings with a small group of students exploring ingredients, their preparation, and various cooking techniques. Chef Carey will explain the four essential cooking techniques to provide the foundation for students to build their own repertoire of dishes. At the end of each class, the students will discuss what they learned as they enjoy the fruits of their labour. This is a unique opportunity to learn in a small group setting, with high quality instruction, and delicious food.
Joseph Carey, who recently moved to Portland, taught professional chefs at the Memphis Culinary Academy which he founded. He has written two cookbooks: "Creole Nouvelle: Contemporary Creole Cookery" and "Chef on Fire: The Five Techniques for Using Heat Like a Pro". Learn more about him >>>
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Salt of the Month Club
This month we've chosen Truffle salt - our most popular salt - as the salt of the month. To inspire you and help you get started with it, Josie has created an Easter worthy recipe, perfect for spring that takes advantage of the great textural and flavor contributions from this artisan salt. This recipe could easily be scaled up for a crowd, and would be a lovely addition to a spring brunch menu.
Not all of us are lucky enough to have truffles lying around the house. However, there is an easy and delicious solution to having that luxury- Truffle Salt. This blend of ground Italian black truffle and sea salt is irresistible in the kitchen. The texture is more refined than most artisan salts, and melts effortlessly into the food. The flavor of black truffles is inimitable. The salt is versatile as well- it can transform simple dishes like scrambled eggs, buttered pasta, or even salad into an everyday indulgence.
Try Josie's recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Truffle Salt. |
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2004 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon 
Announcing the release of the 2004 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon. John Abbott crafts a stylish and elegant Cabernet from Walla Walla that starts out with notes of nuts and chocolate and expands into a full bodied wine that shows flavorful plum and bing cherry flavors. This wine is a fantastic value and extremely limited. $38.95 |
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Come to In Good Taste to indulge all your food fantasies. |
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Sincerely,
Barbara Dawson
In Good Taste Cooking School |
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South African
Wines
To complement the dishes you can make with the new African Spice Collection, we suggest trying some South African wines.
A new one that we've just tasted is the Wildekrans Barrel Select Pinotage 2003. Pinotage is a grape variety unique to South Africa. It is a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault varieties, created in South Africa in 1925. The Wildekrans Barrel Select is a deep dark purple colour, with a berry nose. It is a complex wine with a long finish on the palate. This wine will go well with beef (steaks, roasts, casseroles, etc.), Rack of Lamb, and cheeses such as Cheddar and Camembert.
The wine has an ageing potential of five to eight years.
Matt and I served it with the Lamb chops and Berbere Spice rub (see recipe in "The African Collection" - to the left). It went beautifully with the spicy chops.
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Eat Local Challenge
In many ways, spring is more of a New Year than January is; the longer days and increased sunlight mean more energy, more time outside, and fresh produce at the upcoming Farmer's market. It's also the beginning of the "eat local challenge"- a movement designed to encourage everyone to give the Locavore diet a try. Becoming a locavore isn't as hard as it sounds, and it doesn't require giving up our favorite things. Locavores try to eat food made or produced within 100 miles their homes.
Instead of making a New Year's Resolution this year, I started my own Eat Local Challenge on the first day of spring, March 21st. Rather than thinking of it as a chore or sacrifice, I've thought of it as a game- like a giant scavenger hunt to find the best and most interesting local ingredients. Getting those ingredients is half the fun (and half the challenge). The other neat part is figuring out what to do with those ingredients. So far, I've stuck to my "80/20" rule- 80% of my food is local. The other 20% includes things like coffee and my new-found addiction- Mediterranean smoked sea salt. I've made pea soup with goat cheese toasts using fresh peas and local goat cheese, and a mushroom tart with rogue river blue cheese, to name a few. Eating local seems to be quite a treat!
Buying food means making choices and asking important questions; what are you buying, where are you buying it, who makes it, how is it made? The Eat Local Challenge is about consciously trying to make the choice that is best for the environment, the community and local farmers. The choices may be small, but they have a bigger, long term impact. You can't fail the Eat Local Challenge; think of it as an ongoing game, and find rewards along the way. You'll discover new ingredients, favorite foods, recipes and local delicacies.
If you are looking for daily guidelines, remember the Eat Local Challenge Motto, from www.100milediet.org:
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
Give the Eat Local Challenge a try. Start at the farmer's market and pick up some fresh asparagus and mushrooms, some tangy Oregon goat cheese and a crusty loaf of artisan bread. Stop at a local meat market and buy some Oregon Country Beef. Add a bit of creativity and some heat and you have a delicious, local meal of Oregon Country beef with sautéed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and goat cheese toasts. Who knew that the Eat Local Challenge could be so delicious?
For more ideas and recipes, follow my personal journal of the Eat Local Challenge on our blog. I'll be updating it frequently with my new discoveries and some helpful suggestions.
- Josie Ross |
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Soy Candles
We are excited about this new line from Bend. Not only are the fragrances of the DANI candles divine, they are eco-friendly too. The candles are made with 100% clean burning soy wax. These soot-free candles are the best because soy wax: - Is 100% vegetable based
- Is a renewable resource that helps support American farmers
- Helps reduce our dependency on foreign fuel sources
- Is biodegradable
- Burns 50% longer than paraffin (which means a better value!)
- Cleans up easily with soap and water
Also, because soy wax burns at a lower temperature, the makers are able to use pure cotton wicks which are also clean burning. So sit back, relax, and bask in the glow of one of these uniquely fragranced candles. Better for you, better for the environment... it's the DANI soy wax difference.
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Review of "Quick Fix Meals"
This month Judith Bishop reviews the new book from Food Network's star, Robin Miller. Read the review here >>> | |
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| Save 9% |
To celebrate our 9 year anniversary in April, bring this coupon in on April 9th, and we'll give you 9% off on anything in the store, including cooking classes. Valid only in the store (no phone or web orders). You must be present to help us celebrate! May not be combined with any other promotion or offer.
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| Offer Valid: April 9, 2007 only |
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In Good Taste Cooking School | 231 NW 11th Ave | @Everett, in the Pearl | Portland | OR | 97209
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