Portland Culinary Alliance

What’s the latest in cookware and kitchen implements? Those who attended December’s program at In Good Taste were brought up to date by Barbara Dawson and her capable staff: Pam Henderson, Cheryl Russell and James O’Keefe.

Greeting members as they came in out of the cold were a spread of tasty delights. Glasses of champagne or wine, a variety of cheeses, crackers with salmon mousse and caviar, Neopolitan cookies and chocolate cake were arrayed along the counter. After browsing among all the gourmet salts, new cookbooks and gleaming merchandise, members sat down to nibble on the treats and watch Cheryl Russell demonstrate some of her favorite things: ceramic knives, peelers and graters.

Cheryl said she likes ceramic knives because they’re lightweight and oh so sharp. She effortlessly cut almost transparent slices of lemons and limes. She said they cut “like butter.” Ceramic knives have improved in quality since they were first introduced more than 20 years ago. The only drawback is they’re not flexible so they’re not the best choice for boning. Cheryl said the guest chefs at In Good Taste’s cooking school often set their own knives aside for the opportunity of using Cheryl’s collection of ceramic knives.

Barbara showed us one of her favorite new things: Riedel’s glasses that are made expressly for Oregon Pinot Noir. The lip of the large-bowled, tulip-shaped glasses flairs out slightly, a feature that’s meant to enhance the mouth feel of the wine.

Barbara and Cheryl also recommended adding a serrated peeler to anyone’s gadget collection. Made by both Oxo and Messermeister, these peelers delicately remove the peel from tomatoes and peaches, as well as other fruits and vegetables.

Barbara generously gave each of us a goodie bag full of fun gadgets as we said our goodbyes and went back out into the chilly night.

LAD Communications recently sent the following news release to their media contacts across the country:

New Cast of Portland Foodies Head Up Alliance
Professional Culinary Alliance Gets Fresh Perspective

November 14, 2007 (Portland, OR) – Micro-breweries, independent wineries, local cheeses, house cured meats – these are the ingredients that have blended to create Oregon’s robust culinary scene, and the Portland Culinary Alliance makes it their mission to keep their finger on the pulse. And now, Oregon’s only professional culinary alliance has passed along the spatula to newly elected top officers for 2008-2009. Susan G. Hauser, a freelance writer, will take over as the next president; and Lota LaMontagne, a public relations specialist, moves up as the new vice president.

Portland Culinary Alliance, founded in 1987, has some 100 members in Oregon and Washington in food-related professions, ranging from restaurant chefs to cookbook authors. The organization’s mission is to inform members of food trends, products and businesses through monthly programs, while providing opportunities to network with other food professionals.

The alliance and its top officers serve as a resource to community organizations and media seeking to learn more about the region’s burgeoning culinary scene.

Hauser writes for a number of national and regional publications, particularly on the subjects of food, travel and business. LaMontagne is with LAD communications, a public relations firm with offices in Portland, New York City and New Zealand that represents numerous clients in the food, beverage and hospitality industries. LAD also produces the annual Portland Indie Wine Festival.

The afternoon sun filled The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar with light while PCA members filled the restaurant with good cheer at the annual dinner on Sunday, November 4. In addition to enjoying fabulous food and wine, members elected a new president and vice president and shared holiday gifts in the always delightful culinary gift exchange.

For many the occasion was a first chance to sample the regional American cuisine offered on the menu of Chef Adam Sappington. Formerly a chef at Wildwood, Adam opened his new restaurant just six months ago in the heart of Montavilla in Southeast Portland. From the tasty hors d’oeuvres to the delectable dessert, the five-course dinner, complete with vegetable, seafood and meat courses, got rave revues. At the end of the meal the chef was enthusiastically applauded and many members promised that they would soon be returning to the Country Cat.

In the business segment of the annual gathering, Susan Hauser was elected president for 2008-2009 and Lota LaMontagne was elected vice president.

On October 23, PCA member Shelley McDaniel offered fellow members a look at her year-old business in Lake Oswego, a meal assembly business with a twist, Cooking Accomplished! Shelley, who’s a graduate of Western Culinary Institute, figured she could improve upon the meal assembly concept by offering original recipes totally from scratch with all locally grown ingredients.

Participants in the program found it to be a busy foodie’s dream. Shelley said most people take about an hour to quickly measure out the ingredients needed for about six meals, each chosen from a menu of 12 or more entrees, with about as many side dishes and desserts. We each chose one or two items from the menu to see for ourselves how quick and easy it could be. Then Shelley served us one of her most popular items, Oaxacan Chicken Mole with Green Rice. Tarri Butler and Ashley Griffin, who had chosen to assemble that dish, were congratulating themselves on their good choice.

Shelley showed us how she treats her customers, with a welcoming glass of wine and appetizers in the lounge area, and plenty of friendly assistance during the meal assembly process. We sipped wine and fired lots of questions at Shelley about her business and how she’s been able to create a job that satisfies her passion for cooking fine, fresh food. Shelley also teaches cooking classes for children and adults, including very popular wine and food pairing classes, in her state-of-the-art kitchen. She also offers the fun activity of meal assembly for parties and corporate team building.

Over dessert of apple-cranberry crisp, we agreed that Shelley provides a useful and economical service to any busy person who can’t bear the thought of fast food. With our newly assembled meals in our arms, we wished Shelley good night and good luck with Cooking Accomplished!

On a crisp fall evening this past Sunday, PCA members who love the written word and great food gathered at Linda Wisner’s beautiful Sauvie Island home for a potluck and Literary Salon. Our readings revolved around First Tastes, and we were instructed to bring a well-loved dish and an excerpt from our favorite literature that fit with the theme.

We gathered in the courtyard for conversation, refreshments, and appetizers as we toured Linda’s colorful garden. Then, lured to the dinner table by Marcia Hamann’s wonderful pumpkin soup, we begin our readings. Throughout the evening, we enjoyed readings from Epitaph for a Peach by David M. Masumoto, poetry selections like “Terence, this is stupid stuff” from A Shropshire Lad by A. E. Housman, and a character-rich bit from Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran.

After a delicious main course spread, we indulged in desserts - lavender shortbread cookies, rich cheeses, fresh plums, and berry crisp - before enjoying one last reading: “Define this Word,” from The Gastronomical Me by M. F. K. Fisher. We couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring ending to our evening.

Chef Robert Reynolds has landed on a clever way to introduce his cooking to a wider audience while tuning in to one of the latest Web phenomena: YouTube.

With catchy music and friendly patter in his own chef studio in Southeast Portland, Reynolds gives mini cooking lessons on video. It’s a good way to get up close and personal with a potential audience of millions!

You can find his lesson on Strawberry Shortcake on www.YouTube.com, and his latest video endeavor, a lesson on making a Souffled Omelet, complete with ladyfingers and lots of rum. The videos are also posted on his web site, www.thechefstudio.com.

Congratulations to Myron Redford and Vikki Wetle! Their Amity Vineyards 2006 ECO-WINE Willamette Valley Pinot Noir won a gold medal at the Oregon State Fair.

The organic, sulfite-free Pinot Noir was up against 207 wines from all over Oregon. Previously, this prize-winner took home a gold at the 2007 Northwest Wine Summit. There it faced competition from wines produced in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia.

At the fair Myron and Vikki also took home a silver medal for their 2005 Winemaker’s Reserve and a bronze medal for their 2006 Oregon Gamay Noir.

Even an overcast August evening and a light drizzle didn’t turn a small group of members away from last Sunday’s PCA Potluck. Our gracious hosts, Marcia Hamann and her husband Tom, opened their quaint country home for an evening of great food and conversation in their peaceful backyard (a stately tree and lovely porch provided plentiful coverage from the elements). A long picnic table held the highlights of the plentiful - and diverse - dishes and wine offerings everyone brought. For starters, there was a fantastic watermelon, feta, and fresh green salad and a twist on traditional guacamole that married grapes, pomegranate seeds, and peaches with bright avocado. Later, the wonderful main courses arrived, including delectable lamb from Sudan Farm and a stunning onion and fig tart inspired by a Barefoot Contessa salad recipe.

Desserts and conversation - the later often centered around Marcia’s friendly llama herd and her colorful gardens - were also in plentiful supply. When it came time for dessert, many opted to sample a bit of every dessert in our spread from rich chocolate, caramel, shortbread squares to tiny key lime squares.

As the night wound down to a close, we all commented how nice it was to introduce and re-introduce ourselves to members - old and new - in the comfort of beautiful scenery and inspired food.

Mark Bitterman, self-styled Selmelier, and his wife, Jennifer Turner, have become stars of the small screen. Computer screen, that is. Bitterman and Turner, who own The Meadow on Mississippi Avenue, are featured in a business video at CNN Money.

Check out this video, “Marketing on a Shoestring,” which shows a happy group of customers sampling ice cream garnished with some of the 50 or so gourmet finishing salts that Bitterman and Turner sell at their charming shop. In the video they talk about how they have built up a clientèle for their wondrous array of salt.

Following their appearance on the CNN Money web site, they were invited to appear on KATU-TV’s “AM-NW.” Here’s a clip from their August 2 television interview.

The couple hosted PCA members in April for a “Salt ‘N’ Pepper” program at which we sampled about half a dozen salts from around the world.

Congratulations to Mark and Jennifer for their well deserved fame.

Ashley Griffin will join PCA as our new executive director in August. Ashley looks forward to meeting everyone already involved with the PCA, and hopes to welcome many new faces to the group as well. In her outside time, Ashley works as a freelance food writer who enjoys telling others she eats for a living.