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.

New LOCAL Product Watch - Viso

At LAD we are always looking for new companies to support, especially local brands with a great story and an exceptional product. Viso is one of them. What is it? Think red bull meets vitamin water infused with EmergenC. Viso is a new healthful drink that gives consumers that extra kick in their step the natural way. The blue bottle (darkened to protect the electrolytes, natural flavors and vitamins from prolonged light exposure) comes in a eight different flavors, all packed with 100% of the daily allowance of 12 vitamins and 2 minerals - the website has a ‘periodic table of Viso’ feature, detailing all ingredients. Four are sugar-free and four have 300 milligrams of caffeine (that’s about 3 cups of coffee). I love Strawkey - light and fruity, NOT syrupy or artificial-tasting. I also owe a thank you to Will Energy for getting me through a long, icy drive back from Seattle on Sunday night (w/o the sugar high)!

The best part, is the team behind the brand. A friend of mine told me that they called the number listed on the website and the Founder and President, Alex IIica picked up. They proceeded to have a friendly conversation about the product and Portland, and he’s been an avid supporter since. Got to love that transparency! Just from the website you get great a sense that the Portland-based Viso Beverage Co. crew are having a great time making their product (they started production in Alex’s kitchen in 2000) and are dedicated to creating loyal brand supporters. www.drinkviso.com

Hey Viso, do you have any PR?

We’ve launched a new, affordable PR seminar series for the small business owner who wants to learn how to design their own public relations campaign. Check out our press release below:

LAD comm. inc. Launches The Home Run Series:
A New Educational Program for the Small Business Owner

First Seminar: “How to Get into The New York Times”

Portland, OR (December 5, 2008) - LAD communications, inc., an independently owned national public relations firm based in Portland, Oregon with another location in New York City, announced today the launch of its new quarterly educational program, The Home Run Series. The series is designed to empower small business owners with the ability to promote their business to a national audience, and as the title suggests, create winning pitches and home run media placements. “A minor investment like a class can yield major results for a small business, and given today’s economy we feel even more motivated to share this knowledge and provide tools for supporting local businesses,” says Lisa Donoughe, LAD comm. founder.

The first four-hour seminar takes place on Tuesday, January 13th from 9:00 AM -1:00 PM and is followed by a prix-fixe lunch at Ten 01. “Our philosophy about gaining national media coverage for businesses is pretty simple - identify a genuine story idea that serves the audience of a specific media outlet. If you have a good story and do your homework, editors will want the content,” says Donoughe.

“We recognize how hard it sounds to take a small store or product and imagine it as a focus of a story in The New York Times, but this is something we do daily, and our goal is to help entrepreneurs and others understand this process in order to connect great publications, such as The Times, with people who have compelling stories to tell,” added Donoughe.

The four-hour seminar will cover specific topics including:

* How to find a great story within your business;
* Today’s most effective techniques for pitching a top national reporter and/or editor;
* How to craft a compelling story idea;
* How to cultivate a relationship with the right reporter for your story;
* How to use experiences, not just pitches, to develop the story;
* How to build in a news peg that creates a specific timeliness to the story;
* How to know when to take the story to another publication.

Participants will leave with tools to promote their business to national media as well as an actual story idea and strategy for pitching it.

The seminar is $ 395.00 and payable by check to LAD communications, 812 SW Washington, Suite 400, Portland, Oregon 97205 or major credit card by calling 503-827-6564. LAD will set aside two scholarship seats only available to qualified start-up businesses or non-profits. Please call for more details about how to apply for this scholarship. Space is limited, and reservations are required by January 6th. The seminar takes place in the private dining room at Ten 01, 1001 Couch Street at Tenth Avenue in the Pearl District.

Future topics for the quarterly educational seminars may include: “Tips for Building Powerful On-line PR Campaigns,” “How to Spot Trends” and “How to Pitch National Magazine Editors.”

About LAD:
LAD communications was founded in 1999 with a mission to grow businesses through effective strategic communications. The company specializes in narrative marketing in support of its national clients in the areas of natural foods, wine, spirits and beer, restaurants and hotels. As a supporter of local artisan and non-profit businesses, LAD has had the privilege of training many entrepreneurs about ways to build their businesses through good PR. Clients include: Aviation Gin, Honey Ridge Farms, Mix Magazine, Downtown Marketing Initiative, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Deschutes Brewery, Nancy’s Yogurt and Hotel Monaco Portland. For more information about LAD, visit www.ladcommunicationsblog.com.

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Portland is a hub for food and drink, but it’s also home to a thriving music scene. For you music lovers, here is something you must check out. I happened upon this site a few months back and I was instantly hooked. It’s called Black Cab Sessions and was dreamed up by Hidden Fruit Prods and Just So Films - both UK based companies. Trust me, after you watch these you’ll say to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that!”

How it works: it’s a small production consisting of one camera set up in the back of one black cab (of the British variety of course) with one band en route through the urban streets of London. They get one take and that’s that. The rest speaks for itself.

Black Cab Sessions is about one thing only - great music, raw and uncut. These videos give viewers access into a special moment where some of the world’s most popular indie rock artists are stripped down to one guitar and their voice sans microphone or studio effects. This is the essence of Indie music at it’s core.

These are a few of my favorites: My Morning Jacket, The Kooks, Spoon, Death Cab For Cutie, Bon Iver and Brian Williams from the Beach Boys. Sometimes the website is slow to load, in which case go to Youtube and search Black Cab Sessions and the artist’s name.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Anyone who can guess all three of our Halloween costumes will receive a special treat. A surprise seasonal ale! Don’t be scared…

Happy Halloween!

This past weekend I traded in Portland’s lush fall greenery for a quick dose of dry New Mexico sunshine. What an incredible state! We kicked off our Saturday afternoon with an early feast at local restaurant The Shed, which serves some of the best authentic New Mexican cuisine in town. There I indulged in some traditional Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas with posole, a margarita and, of course, tons of chips and salsa. After the meal, we decided to walk off our food coma by gallery hopping in the area. One of my favorites was the Ed Larson Gallery, a small folk art studio we happened into off the infamous art strip, Canyon Road.

Sunday was incredible! After a nice quiet breakfast, my family and I rode our bikes to the local farmers market where we were immediately hit by the intoxicating scent of roasted chilies in the air. We parked our bikes, ran inside and watched as the locals picked, purchased and roasted their peppers.

Choose your color: Red, green or both.

Take them to the pros (be sure to stand back to avoid the embers):

When you’re home and ready to cook the peppers, you want to make sure that you clean them well and peal away the outer shell. If you like them hot, be gentle so not to lose the seeds since they’re the spiciest part.

Then slice off the tops and they’re ready to go. We were chatting with a local woman at the market who told us that her favorite way to cook up her chilies are to sauté them with corn, onion, mushroom and butter.

Anyone else have a chili recipe to share with us?

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!