PDX Food Notes

A couple of quick summer notes to those who, like me, find themselves hungry and thirsty this summer. If you're fortunate enough to live in Portland it helps........

First off, Castagna is starting up their annual series of fabulously thirst quenching and appetite satisfying rosé dinners. I've been to several over the past couple of years, and they are always a great value at $50 for four courses with wine at one of the best restaurants in town! Click on the link above for more details.
*** *** ***





Another restaurant I am totally stoked for and went for the first time (more soon on that) this week was Biwa over on 215 SE 9th Street. Awesome Japanese food at a great price. They have just announced their sidewalk dining area has just opened, plus they have recently put out their new summer menu. Click the link to check it out. Believe me, based on my experience you need to be there. Cool space, great people. What more do you want?!
*** *** ***

Two new restaurants opening soon are 50 Plates in the Pearl; and Belly over on NE Fremont and MLK in the old Terroir spot, both much anticipated. I've been fortunate enough to be invited to their media preview dinners, so you'll get the lowdown soon!

Gosh, I'm so flattered!!

Not to toot my own horn, but since I haven't been giving myself near enough credit lately, I am very excited to have my first real (not to diminish Eat.Drink.Think., but these guys paid!) online article published at the great online food magazine, culinate.com, which discourses on one of my favorite summer subjects: deliciously crisp and brilliantly pink rosé wines. Plus there's a couple of my go-to recipes you can click to so you can further enhance your experience. Click the link above to go to the article, and be sure to check out the rest of their site. They're doing a great job of feeding my food addiction!
Thanks to Kim at culinate for the opportunity....it was a blast!

Salut, comrade!

With the weather heating up, my mind starts obsessing over bottles of fresh, crisp ice cold dry rosés and great food to go with them. This week one of my annual favorite rosés came out, the whimsically subversive Vino Pinko from John Paul at Cameron Winery. John's been making stunning pinots and chardonnays under his Cameron label here in Oregon for a long time, and he satisfies his jones for all things Italian by releasing some limited production wines under his Cameroni label. A pinot bianco, an Italian style white blend, a nebbiolo, and this crisply delicious pinot noir rosé. Che never looked so good!

So with all this good pink stuff swirling about satisfying my thirst, I naturally and inevitably start to get hungry. For me one of those ultimate food and wine hookups is rosé and shrimp. The acid and fresh berry flavors in a chilled dry rosé counter perfectly to the sweetness of fresh shrimp. We had mom over a couple of nights ago, and since it was an after work get together and I had been rocking hard at the wine shack, I wanted something fast and easy. This pasta we adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe off of the Food Network site is just the ticket for a warm summer evening and a cold bottle of rosé. Pass the pink, please!

********************

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini
adapted from Tyler Florence

1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 large shallots, finely diced
10 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup dry white wine
2 lemons, juiced
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

'Tis the Season!

Wines above (r to l): '06 J. Christopher "Christo Irresisto" (Oregon); '06 Conte di Buscareto Marche Rosato (Italy); '06 Provenza Chioretto (Italy); '06 Domaine Sorin "Terra Amata" Cotes de Provence (France); '06 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d'Aix en Provence (France)

You know when the New York Times wrote a feature article on them last summer, their time had come. Once derided, many times with cause, as sickly sweet bottles of luridly pink white "zinfandel", today the dry, crisp rosés from France and Italy, and in certain cases America, have now taken their rightful, delicious place among the must drink wines for spring and summer enjoyment.

I've been pimping these wines hard for the past five years here at the wine shack, and each year I've seen sales zooming. Nothing satisfies on a warm afternoon and evening like rosé. Dry, refreshing, bright, with the best having a bracing backbone of acidity, these are essential wines for the summer table. With more body than white wines (they are made from red wine grapes that are pressed and then have the juice taken off the skins before too much pigment colors the wine), these are remarkable food friendly, and with most things off the grill are perfect matches. I'll gladly slurp these down with 'qued burgers, chicken, and sausages. They are perfect foils for garlic-rosemary grilled shrimp (recipe follows) and most other seafood. And best of all they are eminently affordable. All five wines pictured come in at under $14 a pop! The picture above shows a few of my current favorites. If they aren't available where you live, try some others. You've gotta join the club. And guys, don't be afraid, because real men can drink pink!

********************

GRILLED ROSEMARY GARLIC SHRIMP
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves plus sprigs for garnish
3 tablespoons olive oil plus oil for brushing shrimp
16 jumbo shrimp (about 10 per pound)
four 12-inch bamboo skewers
lemon wedges as an accompaniment

In a large bowl stir together garlic, minced rosemary, and 3 tablespoons oil and add shrimp. Marinate shrimp, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

In a shallow dish soak skewers in water to cover 30 minutes and prepare grill.

To grill, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer and brush with additional oil. Grill shrimp on an oiled rack, set about 5 inches over glowing coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.

Alternatively, brush shrimp with additional oil and grill in a hot well-season ridged grill pan, covered, over moderately high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Garnish shrimp with rosemary sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.

"You call this work?"...pt.2

As if all the work I put in for the previous post wasn't enough, yesterday three friends from my favorite drinks rag, Imbibe Magazine, stopped by the wine shack to taste a batch of Oregon Pinot Noir Rosés for an article coming out in their June issue and to get some input from yours truly. Always happy to help enable the public's consumption and education, and being a lover of all things pink and grapey, I was more than ready. We popped the corks on eight bottles from various local producers, and dove in. Unfortunately, we should've jumped right out, because with one or two exceptions, these were major disappointments.....
My idea of a perfect rosé is one that is dry, crisp, fresh on the nose, light to medium bodied with a snappy finish. You know, pretty much what you get from 90% of Euro rosés, which are my standard bearers. In my experience feeding these to my customers, this is what the public seems to prefer as well. After tasting these local atrocities yesterday, I've gotta wonder what these Oregon wine dudes are thinking. It wasn't just me, either. The Imbibe people pretty much agreed. Especially when I pulled out two '06 French versions so they could see how it should be done. The French bottles blew the Oregon juice away, leaving them seeming simple, one dimensional, and flabby. A couple of the Oregon bottles were near undrinkable. The '06 Maysara was sweet, cloying, lacking acid and any presence. The 2006 Sokol Blosser was undrinkable, having this awful wet wood, smelly sock aroma and flavor that as the wine warmed up only got worse. Kate from Imbibe told me they're pimping it hard at New Seasons, a local grocery chain. All I can say is they must have been cut a helluva deal. Two words: Buyer Beware! Three more: Save your money! This was awful. The one that I will actually consider carrying is the '06 Elk Cove, which actually had that dry, crisp, refreshing character I look for. The '06 Ponzi Rosado is also marginally acceptable. The others were forgettable, and frankly a waste of glass. Plus their prices were almost uniformly $3-$6 more per bottle than what a delicious Euro rosé would cost...yikes!
Oh, the big winner? The little Frenchie rosé from Provence, the 2006 Domaine Sorin "Terra Amata" (above), a steal at $10.95. Perfect right out of the bottle, and even as it sat in the glass didn't lose a bit of its bright, charming flavors. Memo to Oregon rosé producers: Before you start working on your '07 pinks, PLEASE open a few bottles of French, Spanish, or Italian rosés. If not for yourselves, then for your victims...err, customers, who you hope will buy this stuff!

Paella: A Taste of Spain!

Paella. Just the sound of it gets me salivating! Great paella is a symphony of flavors layered one on top of the other, the chorizo and shrimp and chicken leading the way, with supporting players saffron, Valencia rice, red peppers, onions, and garlic joining in to crescendo on your palate. Okay, had enough of bad symphony metaphors? How about if I just tell you that I've been looking for an excellent, easy-to-make paella to have at home for years. Thanks to a recent article on Leite's Culinaria, one of my favorite food sites, another culinary goal has been achieved. This recipe is remarkably easy, quick, and I think delivers one of the best paellas I've had. Plus I got to pull out the Cadillac of cookware, the Le Creuset! w and I had it last night night with its perfect wine foil, a chilled bottle of rosé. Yum! We were both supremely pleased, and best of all: Leftovers!!
*** *** ***
Paella
by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated
from Cooking at Home with America’s Test Kitchen 2006
via Leite's Culinaria
Serves 6

This recipe is for making paella in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven should be 11 to 12
inches in diameter with at least a 6-quart capacity). With minor modifications, it can
also be made in a paella pan. Cured Spanish chorizo is the sausage of choice for
paella, but fresh chorizo or linguiça is an acceptable substitute.

Soccarat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a
traditional part of paella. In our version, soccarat does not develop because most of
the cooking is done in the oven. We have provided instructions to develop soccarat in
step 5; if you prefer, skip this step and go directly from step 4 to step 6.

ingredients:
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
8 or 9 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh trimmed of excess fat and
halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut pole to pole into 1/2-inch-wide strips
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups Valencia or Arborio rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 dried bay leaf
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

method:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Toss the shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1
teaspoon of the garlic in a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until
needed. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until
shimmering but not smoking. Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally,
until the skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the
pepper to a small plate and set aside.

3. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the now-empty Dutch oven; heat the oil until shimmering
but not smoking. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer; cook, without moving the
pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and brown on the second
side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer the chicken to a medium bowl. Reduce the
heat to medium and add the chorizo to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply
browned and the fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to the
bowl with the chicken and set aside.

4. Add enough oil to the fat in the Dutch oven to equal 2 tablespoons; heat over
medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring
frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in the remaining garlic and cook
until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes; cook until the mixture begins to
darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the
grains are well coated with the tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken
broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken and chorizo
to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring
occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven; cook until the rice absorbs
almost all of the liquid, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove the pot from the oven (close the oven door to retain heat). Uncover the
pot; scatter the shrimp over the rice, insert the mussels hinged-side down into the
rice (so they stand upright), arrange the bell pepper strips in a pinwheel pattern, and
scatter the peas over the top. Cover and return to the oven; cook until the shrimp
are opaque and the mussels have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Optional: If soccarat (see headnote) is desired, set the Dutch oven, uncovered,
over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot 180 degrees after
about 2 minutes for even browning.

7. Let the paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not
opened and the bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with the parsley and
serve, passing the lemon wedges separately.