Nine days ago, the weathermen predicted a storm so I went to the store and felt a little foolish but thought I’d stock up even if it was a conspiracy to get people shopping. The next day was snowy and I felt wonderfully wise. Now, it’s over a week later, 15 inches of snow higher, and I’m down to my last grapefruit.

My kitchen window view yesterday before another 6 inches came down.

So, it’s been a day of working from home, impromptu chicken (frozen breast) and noodles with peanut sauce (had to substitute ginger powder for fresh, and make my own version of chili sauce) and trying I am to remain optimistic despite losing our LAD holiday party today and many other inconveniences.

It does remind me of the NYC Blizzard of 96 when everything shut down except for my office. I was told that despite the state of emergency those of us who could still walk to work were expected in. I got there, had nothing to do, and made a lunch reservation for Bolo, Bobby Flay’s Spanish place across the street on 22nd. Three of us camped at a table, ordered a bottle of wine, had a 4 hour lunch and called it a day. Snow days are probably not the best days to impose autoritarian rules.

I guess the best thing about storms like this is the opportunity to be reminded that our tendency to think everything is within our control is a comfortable allusion.

It’s been fun to simply get caught up on house projects, pack for Mexico with the hope that I will in fact fly out on Thursday, and enjoy the scrumptous treats in my cabinets.

Tonight, I’ve tucked in with a ginger bread cookie from Two Tarts (Thanks Mark!) and a delicious Chocolate Stout from Rogue’s fantastic Thanksgiving Weekend garage sale. No complaints from this snowed in girl.

Late night Oregon snack -- stout and ginger cookies.

Katie and I hopped on a bus from downtown to Nostrana (very easy BTW, love the no. 15!) on Tuesday for a staff training at Nostrana about the 2008 fall harvest’s fresh olive oil.  Jeff Bergman from Seattle Bergman Culinary Concepts had arranged for 3 very special oils (Tenuta di Capezzana Olio Nuova, Frantoio Bechhina Olio Verde Olio Novello, and Frescobaldi Laudemio New Harvest) to be on the menu and for retail sale at the restaurant from Dec 16 - Dec 23rd.

Butter? Cough effect? Soft fruit? This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning about how to taste olive oils.  Here are some of the sound bites we think are worth passing along:

Italians have long celebrated the harvest of the oils but it is only in the past few years that Americans have had access to these because importers are now willing to spend the money to airfreight the oils.  

The oil must be 45 days or younger to be considered Novello (southern Italy) or Nuovo (northern Italy).  The phenolics in new oil have not yet settled so they are vibrant and the oil has more health benefits.

Twenty or so years ago a consortium of producers in Tuscany introduced new technology that has become industry standard for harvesting the fruit in a way that provides more purity of flavor.  Until this technology was introduced, a lot of the fruit that was turned into oil came from bruised olives that had been harvested by trucks which would pull up to trees, bang the trunks, and let the fruit fall to the ground.  Truly gravity flow technology.

But the number one thing we learned is WHY cooks or diners should be interested in these oils.  

It’s because they are basically “liquid salt.”  All assertive flavors in the oil (the artichoke, banana leaf, tea, straw, fresh cut grass, butter) disappear when combined with food.  We found the oils did an amazing job of brightening the flavors of the vegetables, fish and other ingredients in the dishes prepared by Cathy.

We found the beets in the salad tasted more “beety.” Everything was brightened and special, and sort of came to life in 3-D.  

So, even though the oils we tasted retail for about $ 40 a bottle, they are completely worth it.  And, if you don’t want to commit to a bottle, trying these incredible dishes is a great way to start to appreciate the intensity of these wonderful new oils.  To enjoy the oils in Nostrana’s special menu of three dishes, visit the restaurant from today through December 23rd.  The oils will also be available for retail at Nostrana while supply lasts.

Just back from a long weekend in San Francisco and wanted to share a few leads.

Coffee Bar in the Mission has fantastic espresso drinks and unexpected savory breakfast items. I had a cheddar scallion gourgere and a cappuccino which was nearly as good as Andrea’s at Spella.

Perbacco in the financial district is urban and formal and very Milanese in its sleek, modern style.  I loved the Swiss Chard ravioli with a sage butter sauce paired with the Moretti La Rossa. The fruity yeast the German brewer uses in this Italian beer was the perfect complement to the sweet, delicate flavors of the flawless pasta.  Thanks to Cathy Whims for telling me I HAD to check this place out.

Piperade This off-the grid older (almost ten years old) Basque restaurant is a must for anyone who appreciates simple, honest food. I loved it!  Starters like the goat cheese stuffed peppers stood out for their brightness and austerity.  A salmon main course with chunks of lardons and brussel sprouts was a terrific early fall dish.  Interesting brisk white wines on the Basque-oriented list were a delightful departure from familiar regions and varietals. 

Ponzu I stayed near Union Square at a Kimpton Hotel called the Serano and wanted my first night to be easy so I ordered a chicken satay and green salad from room service.  I have to admit that I’m a classicist at heart so when the satay showed up without a peanut sauce I was deflated.  However, the chicken was insanely tender and the idea of a yogurt sauce accompanied by dollops of fig jam turned out to be wonderful.  Don’t write this one off if you need a quick meal near Union Square.

Ferry Building Farmer’s Market — sorry, I can’t recall the name but there’s a fantastic tamale place at the back of the first tent.  $ 4.00 gets you a tamale filled (and I mean plenty of slow cooked pork) and a big portion of black beans.  I can’t explain it but this food was clean in a way that most Mexican street food isn’t. Definitely a good option if you aren’t in the mood for Hog Island Oysters or some of those other great restaurants inside.

It was a blue sky and a perfect day for sorting fruit at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in the Willamette Valley yesterday. The attraction for me is to personally connect with this year’s harvest, to smell the fruit, see the clusters, chat about random things and come home with sticky boots and a little more knowledge about the magic of how these ripe berries become a memorable elusive liquid.

The view from the Terrace which looks onto Mt. Hood

I worked on the sorting line with Lynn and Ron and a few other friends who hand sorted several tons of Pinot Noir from Shea Vineyards.

Fresh from the vineyard

The last time I did this I learned about second crop or fruit that needed to be pulled from the line because it was not as ripe as the main clusters and this time I noticed Lynn pick up one cluster and pull off a few berries. I asked why she had yanked only a couple berries and she showed me that they had a bit of botrytis or rot. Fortunately, we saw this only once or twice but it was a great opportunity to learn how to identify it and to see the real care that goes into this process.

I was impressed that her eagle eye could see such a subtle discoloration so quickly (fruit zips by fast and even though at some points we had up to six people on the line, it is still an intense momentum). I did occasionally feel like Lucy on the bon bon candy belt.

It was a great day indeed.

Lots of laughter, great tasting fruit (yes, it is mandatory to nibble on a few berries) and a good hearty lunch.

a slow moment on the sorting line

We just learned the sad news that David Lett eyrievineyards passed away last evening.  We want to convey our deepest condolences to the Lett family.  

We have had the privilege of working with David’s son Jason over the years and also of joining both David and Jason for one of the most memorable tastings of my career.  In March of 2006 David and Jason graciously opened up their cellars for two of my good writer friends from NY who were visiting as part of the Indie Wine Festival (Malachy Duffy, former senior editor of Food & Wine, and Alice Feiring, Natural wine advocate and wine writer for Departures, LA Times Magazine, etc.)

Alice and David at our fabulous Sunday afternoon tasting in McMinnville

Papa Pinot’s talent, attitude, vision and wine will be enjoyed for many years to come. They will live on in his children, grandchildren and the wine culture here he helped establish.  Let’s all lift a glass this evening in his honor!

Thanks to Amelia Hard for her tip on this kick*** new hole-in-the-wall near our office (1237 S.W. Jefferson Avenue).  Chef Naoka is a charming joint with outstanding organic Japanese options, open only for lunch, we found the food highly fresh with great clean flavors. We loved the salmon bentos — both the ginger and the herb.  

Lovely grilled zucchini and roasted tomato accompany the fish

The bento box is $ 10.00 and we also had the interesting rice cake sides stuffed with things like cheese (?!!) and seaweed (our favorite) and the seasonal salad ($5.50) which was dressed in a sweet Asian vinaigrette.

Delicious salad with beans, seaweed and other cool stuff

 Please check it out and let us know what you think!

Northeast 28th was full of the sweet aroma of tomatoes today as 200 pounds of organic heirloom tomatoes from Red Truck Farm on Sauvie Island got washed, milled, cooked, seasoned and canned by the kitchen at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro.

These cooks crave a closer connection to the season and now guests will be able to enjoy house-preserved fresh tomatoes in dishes well into the rainy winter season.

Gorgeous raw product from Red Truck Farm.

The dirtiest part of the job involved squishing tomatoes in this old-fashioned food mill that Anthony has had in his family forever!

Umm, Umm Good

It was off to the stove top for heat and reduction…

Steaming boiling reduction

Anthony was one of the go-to cooks who got really into the preserving part of the festivities

We can’t wait to try a fantastic inventive dish with one of these wonderful tastes of summer.

Check out Chef/owner Cathy Whims on this new Time Inc. web-based TV show about celebrating local flavors. We had a blast with this crew from Birmingham, Alabama and love this tuna recipe. Great job Cathy!

Cathy Whims on Myrecipes.com. Be sure to check out both segments!

It’s time to say a big thank you and congratulations to our soon-to-be former Director of Interactive, Lizzy Caston. We’re sad to see Lizzy leave LAD but thrilled that she has taken a leap of faith and decided to open her own communications practice. We know you will kick some good ole fashioned booty, Lizzy!

A big thanks to our go-to ear on the street, Mr. Mike Thelin who introduced us to Lizzy.

Mike Thelin engaged in conversation during a wine trip to Yakima.

We approached Lizzy with the idea of officially launching our new media or social networking group almost a year ago and have been super happy with the projects we’ve worked on together. In 2007, we decided it was time that our new media work was officially part of all our integrated PR programs and Lizzy did a fantastic job of helping us execute our strategic plans.

Tiki night with Lizzy (took the photo) and my new BFF in New Orleans, Todd Perely

Of course one of the toughest assignments Lizzy and I tackled together was Tales of the Cocktail, as you can see here I was forced to do lots of hands on research and there was definitely a social networking component throughout the conference.

As part of this transition, we are excited to announce our newest member of the New Media Group, Katie Burnett who has worked with us since January.

Katie has a degree from Lewis and Clark and has developed an expertise in building customized e-marketing programs for our clients. We will miss Lizzy’s leadership but do welcome Katie into this department and are excited to see what new ideas come to the table for LAD client partners.

Related links Todd Perely, painter, cat owner, home-absinthe brewer.

Mike works at Urban Works.

Lizzy’s website is coming soon!

Dinner on a vineyard. Lots of good people, good wine and what has become for some, a great summer tradition. This is an evening at Plate & Pitchfork

Pre-dinner vineyard tour with A to Z's vineyard manager

These are the vitals:

Saturday, August 2 at Jacob-Hart Vineyard in Newberg
Chef Vito Dilullo from Ciao Vito and Chef Rich Meyer from Higgins
Wines from A to Z Wineworks, Rex Hill Vineyards and Francis Tannahill
Featuring produce from OakHill Organics.
Tickets for this evening are $125 per person.

Dinner began at 6pm. The cashmere blanket, deep mustard scarf, grey wool sweater got wrapped around my shoulders by the time the bay shrimp arrived.

Carrots were the star of the evening. Sausages were delicious too but sometimes a perfect carrot can sweep me off my feet.

Thank god for summer evenings of cool breezes, volunteers from Oregon Tilthe, a local momentum that creates endless opportunities for eating near dirt, and a trunk filled with blankets.

My love affair with Oregon is in full swing this week.