Fork and Vine

Spirit Saturday: Silver Fizz

2012-02-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to make the Ramos Gin Fizz, unfortunately I was confused by thinking I had orange flower water, when I actually had rose water...not the same thing. I will settle for a Silver Fizz. It's pretty similar and far more refreshing than a Ramos Gin Fizz. Fizz's are a variation of a sour (with acid such as lemon, lime or both) and the addition of carbonation. Silver Fizz gets it's name from the addition of egg white (because of it's metallic gleam, I guess?). Some people are squeamish about using egg white in their cocktails, but I love it! Egg white adds a nice thick foam on top, which is odorless, flavorless and texturally awesome! Silver Fizzes will make a nice addition to your next brunch or garden party!

Silver Fizz yields 1
Adapted from The Essential Bartender Guide by Robert Hess
Ingredients
2 ounces gin (I used my favorite, Hendricks)
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
5 ounces club soda
crushed ice
lemon twist

Fill a cocktail shaker with first four ingredients. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Add crushed ice and shake until ice chilled and unbearable to touch...and then shake some more (the longer you shake, the better the foam). Strain into a highball glass and top with club soda. Garnish with lemon twist.

Kick back, relax and enjoy that Silver Fizz because you earned it with all that shaking! Cheers!

Vintage Green Maxi Dress, an outfit post

2012-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this dress, but it pains me to say that I rarely ever wear it. I think it's because I rarely find myself wearing a maxi dress. I picked this dress up thrifting at the Goodwill bins about six years ago and have only worn it a handful of times since. It is one of my favorite prints and I love the way it moves, but I think I might get some more wear out of it if I had it brought up a bit...I'm thinking just below the knee.

Oddly enough, I picked up the faux leather jacket at the Bins about a month and half ago and don't mean to toot my own thrifting horn, but think they are mighty fine scores! At the Bins you pay by the pound so in total I probably only spent about $5 for the two.

I recently picked up an über cute yellow spring coat from Jenny at Frecklewonder that I am dying to wear once it warms up. The sleeves are a little shorter, and although it has been a pretty warm winter here, it's not quite warm enough to bare my forearms. Jenny was so cute and included a sweet little notecard and this awesome orange scarf. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, well scoot your little but over there because it is awesome! I have been following Jenny's blog for about eight years now and it is one of my favorite reads! She is a momma, thrifting goddess, crafter and chicken keeper with a delightful voice and point of view.

Outfit Details

Vintage maxi dress, thrifted

Faux leather jacket, thrifted

Suede shoulder bag, Holding Horses via Anthropologie

Black booties, Coconuts

Scarf, c/o Frecklewonder

Belt, H&M

Earrings, We Dream In Colour

Bangle, thrifted

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes (Gluten-Free)!

2012-02-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I picked up Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free a recipe book by baker and proprietor, Karen Morgan. You have heard me say it here before that I am not a baker and to finally start down the baking path, gluten-free I might add, is a little scary. However, I am determined to become a successful gluten-free baker! I am happy to report that these chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes were a great and tasty introduction into the scary world of gluten-free baking (okay, okay so it isn't so scary)!

All baking is about proportions and correct measurements, but gluten-free baking is especially so! Too much of a certain type of flour and it will be dry, too much of another or binding agent and it's like glue. So I was a little concerned when I had to stray from the original recipe because Morgan's called for "glutinous flour," of which I did not have. And why is a gluten-free recipe calling for "glutinous flour" for anyway? Well, come to find out glutinous flour is a sticky rice flour made up of several different rices. It is the same thing used to make mochi and is quite sticky when wet, making for a unique and flavorless binding agent. I do not have such a thing and was not intending to trek to the Asian food market to grab some.

Instead, I decided to use something that works in a very similar way. I do want to preface this by saying that glutinous flour is one of those things that is not something you can easily substitute and this may not work with other recipes. After much research I decided to use Xanthan Gum, which also quite sticky when wet and is a natural thickener and binding agent. It is pretty potent stuff and a little bit goes along way: 1/2 teaspoon for every cup of flour used.

Luckily, my gambling turned out well and these cupcakes were a huge success, so much so that after one cupcake Will insisted that I take them to work for fear that we might eat them all. The chocolate cake was moist with out being gooey and the frosting is what I like to call peanut butter crack. Be warned there is ALOT of sugar in the frosting. I recommend eating these bad boys with a ice cold glass of milk!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes yields 12
Adapted from Blackbird Gluten Free Bakery Recipe Book

Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Icing:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Cupcakes
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cup pan with paper liners.

In a standing mixer, or a bowl with a hand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all dry ingredients and mix on low speed to blend. Add the butter and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium and add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat on high until smooth. Using an ice-cream scoop, fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch.

Remove from oven and gently un-mold onto a wire cooling rack. Turn right side up and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting
In a standing mixer, or hand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the light and brown sugars and salt until it forms a ball. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth, while scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything. Beat in the confectioner's sugar, cream and vanilla. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Do not overwhip the icing as it will cause the butter to melt. Frost cupcakes with offset spatula and top with whatever you like (I used cocoa nibs).

Ballet Pink and Jagged Lines, an outfit post

2012-02-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

I totally took advantage of the Modcloth sale a couple weeks ago and was stoked to snag a few dresses and a skirt for pretty cheap. As soon as I pulled this dress out of the box my coworker remarked on how fitting this dress was of my style. I LOVE this dress! It has this cute fit and flare shape and the color is a soft ballet pink with jagged lines all over.

I wore my olive Hue tights and olive Kork-Ease wedges, which are incredibly comfortable. It has been so warm here, as is the rest of the country, this winter that I have rarely had to bundle up.

I have an over-abundance of jewelry that I sometimes forget about fun pieces like this necklace. I purchased this a couple years ago to wear to Will's sister's wedding. It is from a local artist and is repurposed from lampshade hardware!

Outfit Details:

Dress via Modcloth

Sweater, H&M

Belt, Thrifted

Tights, Hue

Wedges, Kork-Ease

Necklace via Rock n' Rose Vintage (Portland)

My Etsy Picks: Calling Cards

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have been contemplating getting calling cards. They are a great networking tool for anyone, and as a blogger they are even better exposure. Sometimes when I am out and happen to tell people about my blog I wish I had card so that I could hand it to them instead of just telling them the address. It would also be nice just simply for when someone asked for my email. I already have business cards for work, but really need personal calling cards. I have collected a few of my favorites on Etsy below...and some that I feel really speak to me:

These first two calling cards have beautiful details that I think really speak to me and Fork and Vine...wine and cooking, of course! These lovely designed calling cards are by Nancy Nikko Designs and she has even more illustrations to choose from.

This next set of business cards is just purely awesome. They are a set of block prints of fruit and veggies by Rigel Stuhmiller. I think that these cards also speak to me and my love of cooking and produce. They would be a splurge, but totally worth it!

The third calling card has this awesome art deco vibe to it by Old Paper and Prints. I really like the design asthetic of this card with the lemons and the shapes. It also is the most affordable of the calling cards because it's a download file, which you can print.

The last calling card is a custom card, but I love the illustrations and layout of it. I think it has a fun vibe to it and would be interested in seeing what cool design they would come up with that suits me.
The Dapper Paper Co. is a husband and wife team that also does custom wedding invites branding and logo design, as well as posters.

Photo Credits: 1,2. Nancy Nikko Designs, 3. Rigel Stuhmiller, 4. Old Paper and Prints,
5. The Dapper Paper Co.

Tie Dye Tuesday

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's acceptable to wear tie dye...and maybe even it's okay to wear it at work. Well, at least it's acceptable as long as the tie dye in question doesn't look like this. Sorry for that, I couldn't resist!

This ensemble is one of my casual work day outfits. The winery can get quite chilly so I usually wear boots to work to keep my toes warm, and cooler temps make for happier wines! My friend and coworker, Patty, was sweet enough to take some outfit photos for me before we left work for the day. It has been raining nonstop here in Portland and the Valley so taking pictures has been restricted to indoors.

Not sure if you can tell in the photos, but last week I had my hair cut and dyed darker. I love it...it's borderline black!

Outfit Details:

Tie dye shirtdress - Collective Concepts

Jeans - Joe's

Sweater - H&M

Necklace, Belt - F21

Boots - Enzo Angiolini

Have a great Tuesday!

Spirit Saturday: The Clark Gable

2012-01-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

Wait, so why did I name this cocktail Clark Gable? Well, let me tell you: The spirit of this libation is Bourbon and what classic movie actor epitomizes Bourbon better than Clark Gable? Not only does he ooze Southern charm (well, he's actually from Ohio) and class (what I think of when Bourbons comes to mind, i.e. Mint Julep, Old Fashioned), but it also happened to be the spirit of choice for Mr. Gable.

The Clark Gable yields 1
Ingredients
3 ounces Bourbon
2 ounces pear nectar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cardamon
grated nutmeg (optional)

Fill a cocktail glass with ice and water to chill. Meanwhile put a few icecubes in a cocktail shaker and add Bourbon, pear nectar, lemon juice, a pinch of ground ginger and ground cardamon. Shake until very chilled.

Dump ice water from cocktail glass and strain recipe into glass. Add another pinch of ginger and cardamon on top and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg. Kick back, relax and enjoy Red Dust.

Spice Roasted Squash with Lentils and Arugula

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

I made this dish sometime back for our harvest party at work and it was a hit! I love interesting combos and playing certain flavors off of each other like spicy and sweet or mild cheeses with spicy food or peppery greens with mild goat cheese. This recipe is a perfect myriad of different flavors, which was inspired by this recipe from Smitten Kitchen (I love her and can't wait for her book to come out!).

Over the past month of being on my detox diet I have really learned the importance of soaking your grains and legumes. While these foods are very nutritious for your body they are also extremely difficult for your stomach to digest, so it is really important that you soak them beforehand...believe me your gut will thank you!

Spice Roasted Squash with Lentils and Arugula serves 6
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
3/4 cup black or french green lentils
6 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
3 tbs olive oil, divided
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp hot, smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp coarse salt
4 cups baby arugula
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 cup goat cheese crumbles
1/4 cup Marcona almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, paprika and salt. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Flip pieces and roast for and additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, soak lentils in a bowl for 15 minutes and drain. Cook lentils in boiling water until tender, about 25-30 minutes. Rinse with cool water and allow to drain and cool

Combine lentils, squash, arugula and remaining oil scrapped from baking sheet with 1/2 of goat cheese, 1/2 of Marcona almonds, vinegar and remaining olive oil. Toss ingredients and taste. Adjust seasoning with more s&p or vinegar. When ready to serve, sprinkle with additional goat cheese and almonds.

Kelly Moore "The Posey 2" Bag

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

I want to preface this with saying that I posted this on my own volition. Kelly Moore did not gift or approach me to review their product in any way, I just wanted to share with you my thoughts on this unique bag.

For many months now, I have been carrying my cameras around in my purse (bad, very bad...I know). Like any fashionable lady, I don't like to carry around a camera bag in addition to my purse and I find them to be unfashionable, which is why I asked for a camera purse for Christmas. I requested several different styles and companies and on Christmas morning I was thrilled to open up a gift from Will containing the Kelly Moore "Posey 2" in Muted Teal. The "Posey 2" has a nice compact size, but still can hold quite a bit of camera and equipment inside. You could easily carry your dslr and up to two lenses inside.

I used a dslr to take this photo, but you can see with my digital point and shoot that it is quite roomy in the bag. The best part is that you can reconfigure the compartments however you like. The inside is a padded nylon material, while the outer material is a quality faux leather (it really does have the look and feel that real leather has).

I love the built in wallet because it frees up the other compartments in the bag for other things. It is easy to access as it as a snap closure and two side zippers. The flash card holder is a nice feature for professional photographers, however I don't see me getting much use out of it. Along the back side their is a slim compartment that was made for an ipad, which is also nice (hopefully I will eventually have an ipad in it!).

There is an adjustable and removable shoulder strap, which is a key feature, but the uniqueness lies in the handle. I love the look and feel of sometimes just picking up your bag by the handle, this one is great because you can fold it open for quick access to your camera or fold over the bag in front.

If you are in the market for a quality camera purse I urge you to check out Kelly Moore's site. There are lots of different styles and the quality is spot on. I love mine so much that I will eventually invest in a second one that is a little roomier for weekend or event outings.

Roasted Winter Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorite pizzas to make, and now that I have gone back to gluten free I am on the hunt for the best damn gluten free dough I can find. Gluten-free pizza dough is just not the same as regular dough. I mean, c'mon, just look at that dough in how fluffy and crunchy it is. Well, anyway for the rest of you who are not gluten-free I hope you enjoy one of our favorite pizza recipes.

I originally found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, however, I have made this several times now with some experimentation with different squashes and a few adaptations. My newest and favorite variation is using dumpling squash and the addition of chopped, toasted almonds.

I love the play of sweet and savory with the squash. Actually the reason why I love using dumpling squash is because it has more of that savory element than acorn or butternut squash, however any of the three work really well with this pizza.

Will is my expert dough man. While I may not make my own dough, rolling and stretching it out is quite an art form that I for one have not mastered. This is where Will comes in. He is my masterful pizza dough man; stretching, rolling and tossing our pizza dough into perfection!

Roasted Winter Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza serves 4
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
1 (1 pound) dumpling squash (or acorn or butternut)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use less if you don't like too much kick)
coarse salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound pizza dough, brought to room temp
1 1/2 cup whole milk mozzarella, shredded
2/3 cup Gorgonzola crumbles
1 cup arugula
squeeze of lemon juice
toasted almonds, chopped (optional)
cornmeal and flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the squash in half length wise. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 inch wide half moons across the bias and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place the squash on a parchment lined baking sheet or silpat. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining olive oil, oregano and garlic. Keep oven at 375 degrees. Sprinkle some flour and a little cornmeal on a smooth surface and roll out pizza dough to a 13 inch diameter, or a 11x13 rectangle in our case. Dust a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and place dough on top. With garlic, herb, oil mixture brush all over dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Gorgonzola all over dough. Bake in oven until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Peel the skins off the squash and top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Toss arugula with squeeze of lemon, 1/4 salt and pepper and top on pizza. Sprinkle with toasted, chopped almonds (optional). Slice and serve.

DIY Project: Shadow Box Jewelry Holder

2012-01-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

I made this shadow box jewelry holder for my sister-in-law for Christmas this year. I've seen tons of tutorials for this in 2011 and my friend, Patty, sent me the Martha Stewart instructions and couldn't resist making this simple project.

You will need: a shadow box with or without fabric backing (glass removed), favorite fabric, scissors or rotary tool, tape measure, pins, staple gun and hammer, cup hooks.

Measure the shadow box backing and then measure the fabric by adding an inch to each side. Using fabric scissors or a rotary tool, cut fabric.

Lay out the fabric and place backing over it. Flip the two over and, if the backing has fabric or felt, pin the fabric to the backing.

Fold the fabric, keeping taut, over the backing and staple to the edge. There will be left over fabric, which you can trim up once done.

Hammer the staples down to make sure they are flush with the fabric and backing. Now you can trim up the excess fabric.

Use a drill bit to drill holes for the cup hooks and screw in however many you want. Reassemble the frame and hang your favorites baubles to your new jewelry holder!

Brunch Success and the Fine Art of Polenta

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be thinking, polenta that's quick and easy enough to make, not sure why you would devote an entire post to it? That it is where you would be wrong. I even had to correct Will for having the same notion. This is not to say that polenta requires any difficulty in making, it's just requires a watchful eye and takes longer to make. Sure polenta is pretty instant to make, but in order to get the full flavor and textural consistency that we love in polenta it will take some time simmering to bring out these flavors. Another thing I want to add is that their are varying grind and corn types. The fullest flavor, though, comes from a coarse grind and "cooking the polenta long and slow for as much as an hour develops a deep corn flavor and light texture," says Alice Waters in her book, "The Art of Simple Food". Waters' knows a little something about celebrating simple food at home and at her restaurant Chez Panisse for the last 30 years and in her book she lays out the necessary steps and tools to cook and bake well executed, simple foods at home.

This dish in itself really celebrates the full flavors and simplicity of each ingredient; the kale was full of flavor with a nice texture, the tomatoes were softened a little and a sweet compliment to the polenta and kale and the egg was perfectly poached adding a nice sauce from it's yoke to the dish. I love meals like this where it's so simple and delicious that you kind of feel dumb for not making it more often.

Polenta serves 4
Recipe from Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
Boil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven 4 cups of water. When boiling, whisk in 1 cup polenta and 1 teaspoon salt. Turn down the heat and stir constantly until the polenta is suspended in the water and no longer settles to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, at a bare simmer. Add water if the polenta becomes too thick. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and and add more salt if needed.

Sauteed Kale with Tomatoes serves 4
Ingredients
1 bunch kale or spinach, destemmed and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chile flake
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
pinch of salt and pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat and add garlic and chile flake to pan. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add kale and saute until well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes to pan and cover until the kale has wilted and tomatoes have softened slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon polenta in 4 shallow bowls and kale mixture over it and top with a poached or fried egg.

Pretty Frocks and Country Living

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

It's funny that these last two outfit posts are of me wearing pretty frocks in the country. My parents live out in the country in the Sierra Foothills. It's absolutely beautiful, but also kind of ironic since I'm dressed to go out on the town.

I purchased this dress and coat from Modcloth right before the holidays and am totally and love with these new items. The coat is the perfect length and is surprisingly warm. I usually am skeptical of buying clothes in yellow or green because I have olive complexion, but the Goldenrod dress has a nice warm hue to it that doesn't wash me out.

While in California, during the holidays, it was surprisingly warm. I feel like I got my daily dose of Vitamin D which we're not really used to in the Pacific Northwest.

Photos by Sarah Vintze

Outfit Details: Coat by Tulle and Dress by Ark and Co. via Modcloth, Necklace via Anthropologie, Tights via Urban Outfitters, Booties by Coconuts.

A Special Birthday

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today is Will's birthday. I am so honored to have such an amazing person in my life. I also feel blessed to see this person grow over the last five years that I have known him. Some of you as readers already know how awesome Will is, but for others that have not I wish you could all meet him personally.

He is one of the kindest people you will meet. He is extremely well spoken and intelligent, but the greatest listener; and is deeply interested in what others have to say. He is inspiring in his life goals and it has been wonderful to be by his side as he works towards those. Will is my best friend and greatest love and relish celebrating another day where he is on this earth and by my side!

It would mean so much to me if you would all wish Will (or Billy to some) a very happy birthday!

Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot begin to tell you how easy and delicious these parfaits were. I am not a baker. I cannot bake, I always screw up ratios and more often than not if I make a dessert it tends to be something no bake. Things haven't changed and I am happy to add this to my repertoire of no-bake desserts.

Originally, my mom and I had planned on making the pumpkin mousse from scratch; she had some leftover cooked sugar pumpkin, but unfortunately it had gone bad. Thankfully she had some cans of pumpkin in the pantry, which saved us from suffering a dessert-free Christmas dinner.

Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits serves 8
Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1/4 cup dark rum
1 packet (2 tsp) unflavored gelatin powder
1 15 oz can pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated orange zest (I used clementine zest)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream
8 gingersnap cookies, lightly crushed
crystallized ginger, candied nuts, brittle or caramel wafer cookies for garnish (optional)

Place the rum in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until the gelatin has softened.

In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set the pan of gelatin over a saucepan of simmering water and heat until the gelatin mixture is clear. Immediately whisk the gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment whip heavy cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Gently fold cream into the pumpkin mixture.

To assemble, spoon pumpkin mixture into parfait or cocktail glasses, then a layer of whipped cream, and a layer of gingersnaps, repeat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours up to overnight. When ready to serve, top with a layer of whipped cream and preferred garnish.

Whole Living Action Plan and Chanterelle Tacos

2012-01-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

As mentioned before in this post, I am embarking on a food detox and fitness program. I wanted to share with you my progress on day two of my adventure (early as it may be). So far, on day two I felt a little sluggish, due to the fact I significantly cut back my caffeine intake. I've also noticed my increased appetite so I think I will need to eat some more health snacks in between meals. I am hoping a little coconut water might also perk me up.

For my meal plan on day two I had a green smoothie and a cup of coffee for breakfast, a kale/cabbage slaw and lentil soup for lunch and chanterelle tacos with black beans for dinner. In between meals I snacked on mandarine oranges and trail mix, while drinking plenty of water and tea.

Will got me Super Natural Everyday for Christmas, which is where I found this awesome recipe for chanterelle tacos. This is such a flavorful dish and a great weeknight vegetarian meal. My one complaint is that the recipe called for 12 ounces of chanterelles, but if having this for dinner I would make closer to 16 ounces (1 pound). You can find the recipe here, on the Whole Living website.

Yesterday was also day two in my fitness plan and was a very relaxed day in my workout. Yesterday morning I started with some detox stretches and after dinner I took Cassidy on a 40 minute continuous walk. Today I will be back at run/walk intervals. The workouts have definitely made me feel more sleepy and I am looking forward to the exercise bringing me a good nights rest.

A Holiday Outfit Post

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

There has been a little delay in posting this, but it's always hard to get back to normalcy following a vacation. My sister has been plaguing me to post these photos...and rightly so because she was my photographer for these next two outfit posts (thank you Sarah, you did an amazing job)!

I'm really excited to share with you this beautiful dress that I purchased for the holidays from Wanderlust, which is the mobile vintage clothing store I spoke about in a previous Some Faves post. It fits like a dream and is my new favorite vintage find. I think it will also make a very lovely dressy spring outfit.

No need to wear a lot of glittery jewelry as it already is jeweled like a broach with tiny little faux pearls and rhinestones and velvet piping along the neckline and sleeves.

I am totally smitten with my new dress and if you are in the Portland area you should definitely check out Wanderlust!

Outfit Details: Flowery vintage dress via Wanderlust; Coat, Spiewak; Shoes, Seychelles; Rhinestone headband via Nordstrom; Gold earrings, my Mother's; Gloves, Coal.

Happy New Year...and to a New, Fitter Me!

2012-01-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Image via Pinterest

Happy New Year! I am sad to see 2011 go as it was a very eventful year for me, but I look forward to the new possibilities that 2012 will bring. 2011 brought many joyful events and triumphs:

The rebirth of Fork and Vine blog
A new job and career growth
A new sister-in-law
New found confidence in myself
New friends in the blogging community

For a long time there is one aspect of myself that I have wanted to change: my fitness. The fact is that I am not a fit person. I do not exercise. I do not stretch. I do not dance. I am a little ashamed to make these statements, although they are true, and painfully feel the need to change this. I am not big on New Year's resolutions, but this is a promise and change I want to make in myself. There are other goals that I have for the coming year, but by far the largest is to become a fit and active person. Over the last two days I have been working on a fitness plan that will successfully work for me and am happy to share with you my progress (and bad days, because we all know there will be bad days).

Last year I participated in the Whole Living 21 Day Action Plan, unsuccessfully. I had very good intentions to start, but did not equip myself with the proper tools to complete the program. This year I am following their 21 Day Clean Eating Action Plan and am really excited to do well at it my second go around. The plan is a detox diet rich in fruit and vegetables, legumes and healthy, low-allergen grains. The first week is a gluten, dairy and meat free diet and each week after slowly reintroduces them back to your diet based upon your tolerance levels.

The fitness plan I am following is a combination of stretching and The Runner's World 8-Week Beginner Runner's Training Program. It is a slow and steady program that I think will be perfect in easing back into running. I have scheduled all my stretching and workouts on my calendar to ensure that I will complete them. I am also blessed with the loving support from my fitness guru, Will. He is very excited about it and is very supportive in helping me stick with it.

So far, my first day with the eating and fitness plan have been great. I successfully completed my workout this morning, which was running and walking intervals for 30 minutes. The diet has been really refreshing as well. For breakfast I had a mango, banana and coconut-water smoothie; and for lunch an avocado with bell pepper and tomato (recipe courtesy of Whole Living 2012 Action Plan) and roasted red pepper soup. I have been drinking lots of water and snacking on fruit and dried nuts. I have noticeably more energy today and look forward to continuing on with my program.

What are your plans and goals for 2012? Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? I would love to hear from you and see what you have planned for the coming year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

2011-12-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pop in and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah! I hope you are celebrating and enjoying the company of family and friends. We attended a lovely mass last night followed by appetizers, small plates and champagne while watching The Sound of Music (my grandma's favorite!). This morning we ate red flannel hash and opened presents, Santa was very good to me this year!

Well, I am off to help my mom start cooking Christmas dinner! Have a wonderful day!

Christmas Vacation, a photo post in two parts

2011-12-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the silence around these parts lately, but I have been preparing for our trip down to California for the holidays, and once we arrived I have been enjoying the company of my family. It has been really nice for Will and I to get away for the holidays and visit my family in sunny, Northern California. Our trip has been busy with lots of tasty food, shopping, games, decorating the tree and bike riding for Will. Cassidy also has had a lot of fun whooping it up with my family's dogs.

On Thursday, we enjoyed a lovely family dinner out at New Moon Cafe in Nevada City, CA. Nevada City is a quaint Goldrush town just North of where my family lives. It's really nice to walk around during the holidays because the whole town is lit up and has festive window displays in all the shops.

Although it turned out a little blurry, I love this photo of Will and my mom. It was a great candid shot of them laughing.

We had such a great dinner at New Moon Cafe. Everything was delicious, but I think the real standouts were the ravioli appetizer, my mom's osso bucco, my stepdad's flat iron steak and all the delicious desserts. I had the duck leg with black mission figs, pearl onions and barley, which was quite good.

We had a Brute Rosé from Alsace to start and my mom brought a wine that her and my stepfather got while vacationing in Italy several years ago. It was a delicious 2001 Chianti Classico, and a real treat to share together!

We had a bourbon brown sugar crème brûlée, gingerbread spice cake with pumpkin mousse and gingersnap cookie dough icecream. My mouth is just watering typing this!

Cheers!

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, and Feliz Navidad!

Red Flannel Hash

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

A recipe so easy a lumberjack could make it...or a fisherman depending on where you're from! Red Flannel Hash is a traditional New England dish by frying up potatoes, onion, bacon and beets...hence the name "Red Flannel Hash." It also has some history as a dish traditionally served to lumberjacks in the Pacific Northwest.

Will and I enjoy it as a staple in our winter cooking. It's a great dish for brunch or a weeknight supper, which is usually how we have it. We are total suckers for breakfast for dinner and if it was acceptable thing to do we might even have pancakes for dinner, but alas it's not! While this recipe can be made several carnivorous ways: with bacon, with corned beef, I tend to make this vegetarian with fried eggs.

Red Flannel Hash serves 2

Ingredients
1/4 vegetable oil
6 medium red potatoes, diced
4 medium red beets, diced
2 medium golden beets, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 eggs

Heat oven to 450˚F. Place oil in a large skillet and place skillet on middle rack in oven. Heat until pan is hot and oil begins to shimmer, about 5 minutes.

Combine beets, potatoes, onion and garlic in a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add vegetables to skillet in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, stir and flip and return to oven, roasting until beets and potatoes are golden and crispy, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and stir in parsley. Make 4 indentations or "wells" in beet hash and crack 1 egg into each well. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Return pan to oven and cook until eggs become opaque, about 3-4 minutes. Serve with toast.

What's in My Bag?

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

I just got a new purse from Anthropologie (their sale section is a guilty pleasure), so I thought I'd share with you what it is and what's in it. The purse is a suede bucket purse by Holding Horses.

It's become really cold here in the last couple of weeks so I am constantly carrying my Coal teal gloves. I love that they are long and keep my wrists warm!
I found my sunnies at Goodwill for a costume party, but I love how big and gaudy so I ended up wearing them all the time.
My wallet is kind of a tanker. I love the quality of it, but I feel like I'm carrying a brick around.
My ipod is a must have where ever I go. I love to listen to music on my commute and at my desk at work. I'm currently listening to Tennis, Foster the People, Kurt Vile and Yo La Tengo.
The journal is by Chronicle Books and is my blog inspiration journal. I got the idea from Elsie after taking the Blog Love E-Course.
My wine key is actually, Will's. He gave me this beautiful, Laguiole, wine key that he got at a marché in France. It is the inspiration behind the tattoo on my forearm (also his idea!).

Some Faves this Week:

2011-12-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of loves and faves this week, maybe it's just me getting into the holiday spirit, but I'm pretty darn chipper about everything!

Image courtesy of NY Times Style Magazine

My first two faves this week I am proud to call Portland's own. First is Lodekka, Dress Shop, a vintage clothing shop that call's it's home a 1965 Bristol "Lodekka" (double decker bus). The bus is packed full of lovely finds both for men and women.

Photo courtesy of Wanderlust Mobile Shop

The second is Wanderlust, Mobile Shop, a pint size vintage clothing store nestled in a 1969 Cardinal Deluxe travel trailer. In fact both the ladies that own these shops found each other and now share the same lot space, making the cutest little vintage shopping mall in North Portland. On weekends these fun ladies serve up mimosas for your shopping pleasure. I have now been twice the last two weekends and have some real lovely frocks that I am excited to share in some upcoming outfit posts. However, I'm going to have to cut myself off from going back too soon...it's dangerous.

She & Him - The Christmas Waltz by MergeRecords

I am such a sucker for the holidays, I love to decorate, I love to watch Christmas movies, and I love the music! My neighbor just got A Very She & Him Christmas on vinyl and I am so jealous. I think I might have to get myself a copy this week.

I've been on the hunt for some new tunes, and this band is totes awesome. Tennis is great and they have that surfer band sound that I love. They are coming to Portland next week and I'm going with my friend Vanessa to see them since her friend, Devon Williams, is opening. I'm so excited to see all the bands and hang out with my friends since it's been far too long.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON, TWO from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

This has been out for a couple weeks now, but I had to wait to post it since I sent the picture book to my sister for her birthday, but....Marcel the Shell is back! Will and I went to see Jenny Slate and her fiancée, Dean Fleischer-Camp, the duo behind Marcel at Powell's for their book tour. They are a really funny sweet couple, obviously.

A Certain Someone's Birthday!

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my sister's seventeenth birthday! Sarah I have seen you grow into such a poised, witty, intelligent and beautiful young lady. I am totally blown away by the poignant and remarkable things you say sometimes.

You have such a kees sense of humor that you make me laugh...almost to tears sometimes. I miss not having you near, but I love our video chats because they always feel like we pick up where we left off. You are the kindest soul who earnestly cares about what is going on in my life and are the most attentive listener to my ramblings. You are so beautiful. I have always admired your curls and sky blue eyes! I am proud of the strides you have made in the last year and the confidence you have in your self. I wish I could celebrate with you today, but we will get to celebrate the holidays soon enough when I am home.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

I would be elated if you all would wish my sister a happy birthday. She is one of the biggest supporter's of Fork and Vine...and commentator, and I would love it if you sent a few birthday wishes her way!

Cheers! xoxo, Kate

Thanksgiving in Pictures

2011-11-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

I hope all my American friends out there had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. Ours was quite enjoyable...and filling! We spent Thanksgiving with Will's family as per tradition. Although we both are not originally from Oregon, we are blessed to have some of our family here in Portland. My older brother lives about a mile from us and Will's two sisters, Kate and Annie both live in Portland. This year, Will's sister and brother-in-law, Annie and Giovanni, hosted Thanksgiving. We divy up the dishes and everyone brings something.

Of course, I bring the wine! It's one of my favorite things about the holidays. I love to pull out wines I have been saving for a special occasion and share them with others. Our winemaker gave us Champagne as gifts for Thanksgiving, and let me tell you this one was a real treat! From left to right we had:

Larmandier-Bernier Premier Cru Brut Rosé de Saignée (Champagne), 1993 Jos. Christoffel Jr. Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese (Riesling), 2006 Domaine Gerard Charvet Moulin à Vent Vieilles Vignes (Beaujolais, Gamay), 2007 Bergström Shea Vineyard (Pinot Noir), and 2005 Owen Roe Dubrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Annie and Gio made two fried turkeys, which is the first time we've done this for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, none of my frier shots turned out so I can't show you the frier in action. This guy is about ready for his injection of an herb mixture!

We had quite the spread! Will and I have been enjoying leftovers with fried eggs on top for breakfast the last few days. Tonight I am making a soup with the remainder of our turkey.

We weren't shy about making desserts either. Kate made pumpkin pie, white chocolate cheesecake and Will and I made pumpkin bread pudding with dulce de leche. All the desserts were so tasty! I wanted more, but I think I might have exploded if I ate anymore.

Of course the kids loved dessert too! Will's niece is so independent. She has to do everything herself; she wouldn't let me serve her an appetizer and when it came time to serve dessert she wanted to put the whip cream on everyone's pie.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving and I hope you did as well. Now my favorite time of year has started! Thanksgiving is the jumpstart into the holiday season and I can't wait for what this holiday season brings, especially visiting my family!

Cheers!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

Image via Pinterest

I know that almost every blogger is posting on this theme today, but I wanted to share with you what I am thankful on my little corner of the blogging world and I look forward to hearing what everyone else is thankful for. This year has been a very eventful year, which has brought me many new things to be thankful for in my life.

My best friend, Will. I am so thankful to share this wonderful life with my partner and best friend Will. I really am so blessed to have him in my life. I feel like I have my own cheering section with him in my corner. I cannot begin to tell you how encouraging and supportive he is in everything I do and I am so proud of him for following his heart and doing something he really enjoys.

My family. Family is very important to me. I am so close with my family and couldn't imagine not having them in my life. It is really amazing to even see how my family has grown over the last year with the addition of my awesome sister-in-law. I've also really enjoyed seeing how my little sister has grown over the last year. She is one amazing and insightful seventeen year old and I am so proud of her. Momma, Joe, Keith, Sarah, Theresa and Will I love you all so much!

Cassidy. This little lady brings so much joy to my life. She has such a fun personality and really lights up the darkest of my days. It really is true what they say about man and dog's bond. She can sense when I am down, sick or tired and will snuggle me much more.

Blogging and the blogging community. I am thankful for finding something that I really enjoy that reconnects me with my writing background. It has been really fun seeing my little corner of the blogging world grow and gives me so much pleasure to share and create what excites me. This community has been beyond supportive and I am thankful for the support and meeting other awesome people that share in the same passion.

My career and being a part of the wine community. It will come as no surprise that I love wine. I am beyond passionate about wine and really am thankful that is a part of my life everyday. I made the career move full time into the wine industry 2 1/2 years ago and I can't imagine doing anything else. I love learning about wine and am thankful to be in a career where I am learning every day, it keeps what I do fresh.

That is what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving 2011 and I hope you have much to be thankful for and would love to hear what it is. Please leave a comment for what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving or a link to your giving thanks post. Happy Thanksgiving!

Blogging and Words to Live By

2011-11-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Image via Pinterest

It is no secret that I am having some problems on the blogging front. I often hear from others how they miss my blogging and wish I were posting more or wonder if I gave up my blog. The answer is no, I haven't given up on my blog. Maintaining a blog is a lot of work and in itself is considered a full time job. There are some bloggers out there that are phenomenal at it. They are fresh, consistent and task oriented, even if they have another full time job. I, however, am not always this way, especially with working another full time job. Another distraction from my blogging is the season change. I definitely am more tired and less motivated in the winter. I am a total home body and once fall hit all I want to do is hibernate, I mean it's practically dark before I even leave work!

I'm telling you all this so you know I haven't completely disappeared, I just need a little time to recharge my batteries, focus on myself so that I can then focus my energy on Fork and Vine. As the holidays approach I hope to bring you photos of dinners, family and my trip with Will and Cassidy to visit my folks and sister in California. I have a couple of holiday craft ideas I'm working on that in time I will share with you. Another reason I'm looking forward to the holidays is to develop a New Year's resolution for myself as well as my motivation to keeping up Fork and Vine.

Image via Pinterest

Thank you all for being such understanding, patient and supportive readers while I go through my loll. I am excited to refocus my efforts and bring you more exciting posts in the near future. Cheers!

Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Escarole

2011-11-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. The colors outside, the color of food, and the time to start hunkering down and getting cozy. I go into nesting mode and cook soups and stews constantly, cozy up to Will and Cassidy, drink a glass of wine and watch a movie...oh ya, and I usually go to bed by ten. Lame I know.

We get our fair share of rain in the Pacific Northwest so it's hard to get me to do anything in the fall and winter outside, but on the rare occasion it's not raining I like to go hiking on a brisk fall day...and Cassidy likes it too!

After a long day of hiking you're definitely going to want something to warm you up like chai tea and this yummy stew and a rolling fire. This recipe is pretty big too, so you'll have lunch covered for a couple of days.

Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Escarole serves 6-8
Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients
1 2/3 cup lentils, rinsed well
5 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, chopped and divided
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage links, cut into 1 in pieces
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 lb escarole, chopped
1-2 tbs red wine vinegar
croutons (optional)
truffle oil (optional)

Simmer lentils, water, broth, bay leaf, and half of garlic in a large pot pot, uncovered, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide heavy 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown sausage, about 7 minutes. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, carrots, celery, remaining garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add sausage and lentils with cooking liquid and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in escarole and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.

Spirit Saturday: Tamarind Whiskey Sour

2011-11-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Spirit Saturday is a great cocktail recipe from Portland's famed thai restaurant, Pok Pok. It's a cool restaurant that serves up unique northern thai dishes and a whiskey centric cocktail list to match. Whiskey is a really great pairing with thai dishes because it's sweetness pairs well with the spiciness of the dishes. For Halloween we got takeout thai food, burgers and watched Paranormal Activity (not very good) with our neighbors while I made some "treats" for the adults, i.e. Tamarind Whiskey Sours!

Tamarind Whiskey Sour yields 1

Adapted Andy Ricker via Food & Wine

Ingredients
Ice
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 tbs tamarind paste, mixed with 1 tbs hot water, cooled
1/2 oz simple syrup
soda water
orange slice and cherry, optional

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients except soda water and garnish. Shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled rocks glass. Top with soda water and garnish with orange and cherry. Serve with a straw if you have one.

Hanger Steak with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce

2011-10-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a few days to get this post finished, so I'm happy to finally be sharing this with you. We don't have red meat very often at home, but when I do make it I like to go all out and try to make something that you would find in a nice restaurant.

Our neighbors were on vacation and they were nice enough to share their CSA box with us while they were gone. It was chock-full of goodies including apples, beets, salad greens, leeks, chanterelles, portobellos and bok choy. It's chanterelle season here in the Pacific Northwest and I can't get enough of them. I want to go out next weekend and forage. I also made steamed bok choy and broccoli with red pepper flakes for some yummy greens to accompany our rich, meat heavy dinner.

The sauce is a yummy red wine reduction with chicken stock, infused rosemary garlic oil, chanterelles, portobellos and chopped tarragon. Pretty darn tasty if you ask me!

Hanger Steak with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce serves 2

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil, divided

6 oz mushrooms, torn or cut into large pieces

coarse salt and pepper

3 tbs unsalted butter, divided

1 lb hanger steak, pounded to 1/2 in thick

2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed

1 small sprig rosemary

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 low sodium chicken stock

1 tbs fresh tarragon, chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over med-high heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer mushrooms to a bowl.

Melt 1/2 tbs butter and 1 tbs olive oil in skillet over med heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and add to skillet with rosemary and garlic cloves. Cook 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil, allowing to rest while preparing the sauce.

Discard rosemary and garlic from skillet and pour off all but 1 tbs fat. Add wine, cook stirring up bits until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3-4 minutes. Strain, return liquid to skillet. Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 1/2 tbs of butter. Stir in mushrooms and tarragon, reserving some for garnish. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mushroom mixture onto plates, drizzling sauce around mushrooms. Slice steak thin along the bias and arrange on top of mushrooms, garnish with remaining tarragon.

Wine Wednesday: Saint Cosme Little James' Basket Press

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I might just geek out a little bit over this wine and the process in which it was made. You may have to excuse my nerdiness, but I hope in the end you find it charming. This weeks wine is a great wine that is widely available and I hope you love it as much as I do. You might have noticed I didn't denote a particular year for this wine and you would be correct! For this week I bring you a non vintage wine from one of the Rhône Valley's notable producer, Saint Cosme.

Label shot courtesy of Saint Cosme

I'll first begin with the region that this wine comes from before I dive into the real uniqueness of how it is made. This wine is coming from the greater Rhône Valley. It is a pretty larger area in itself with different styles and grape varietals grown in each sub area of the valley.

Map courtesy of Sunshine Estates

As you can see from the map there are many sub areas that make up the Rhône Valley and each is important for producing their own different style with notable producers and different nuances. For the purpose of this wine we are not going to dive into all that. Why you ask? Well, this wine is a lower tier wine from the greater Rhône Valley made up of multiple vintages. The Rhône valley is really split into two major areas: Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Northern Rhône wines only allow the production of Syrah for red wine in order to be named from the Northern Rhône area, but also produce whites from Roussanne and Marsanne. However, Southern Rhône is usually made up of blended grapes including Grenache (most planted), Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mouvèdre as well as whites from blended varietals.

Rocky soils of Souther Rhône. Photo courtesy of Wine Cellarage

The Rhône Valley snaking along the Rhône River is most notable for its rocky soils. The rugged landscape of both North and South help to protect the vineyards against from the Mistral, a very cold, dry wind pattern that blows through from the Mediterranean. Wines from this region tend to be powerful, bold dark fruit with tobacco, cedar, spice and floral aromas.

What makes this wine truly unique is that it is a non vintage wine. Saint Cosme has set up a solera system, which is a fractional blending process when making beer, wine, brandy or vinegar. Simply, it is comprised of multiple vintages that you pull from and blend together. This wine was bottled in 2011 so it is a blend of 50% 2010 vintage and the other 50% pulled from every vintage dating back to 1999. While it is not an expression of a certain vintage or a particular area it doesn't need to be because it is meant to be an early consumption, pleasant drinking wine consistent of a certain flavor profile. This wine is 100% Grenache sourced mainly from the South.

Little James' Basket Wine had aromas of barnyard, cherry, cedar, vanilla, lavender and clove with flavors of stewed cherry, clove, all spice, and cedar. We are great fans of the Rhône Valley in this house and found this wine to be a great value (less than $12) for the Rhône. While it's not something to hold it makes a great accompaniment to winter meals including roasted/grilled vegetables, pizza, pasta, roasted/grilled meats and stews. We enjoyed this wine with skirt steak over a mushroom, red wine reduction and sautéed bokchoy and broccoli. C'est magnifique!

A Busy Time: Harvest 2011

2011-10-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've shared what I do for a living on Fork and Vine and I thought there is no better time than right now to see all the exciting happenings of a winery. Although I am not actually involved in the production of wines, I appreciate and understand the process and am inspired by those that are involved in making wine. Owen Roe has been underway with harvesting our vineyards in Washington for about a month now, but starting this week we will be harvesting grapes from our Oregon sites, which means we will be going full throttle to get grapes off the vines and processed from two states!

Here is a photo log of the 2011 harvest so far as well as before harvest vineyard shots:

Six Prong Vineyard Grenache

Grenache Cluster

Sorting Grenache

Red Willow Lemberger fermenting

Sorting table

Harvest at a winery is a very stressful time, but it is very exciting. Documenting this process rekindles my love and passion for wine. It truly is an amazing thing and is really inspiring to see all the staff at Owen Roe working together to make such beautiful wines. We also believe the real work in winemaking isn't making wine, but begins with the vineyard. I hope to go out with the head winemaker and assistants this week as we taste through the grapes in Oregon and share some pics with you.

Veraison at Union Gap Vineyard's Malbec block.

East Chapel Block Syrah, Red Willow Vineyard

Chapel and Chapel Block Syrah, Red Willow Vineyard

First fruit in, Dubrul Vineyard Chardonnay.

Destemmed grapes

Stay tuned to see more of the harvest/crush action!

Fast White Bean and Ham Stew

2011-10-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna lie...this is a total cheater recipe. It is the simplest and quickest stew recipe you will make, although it's not from scratch, but working a full time job it does the job for a comfort food supper. Again, this is easily adaptable to be vegan by using vegetable broth and omitting the ham. We served this with some delicious garlic rubbed toast.

Fast White Bean and Ham Soup serves 4
Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (14-15oz) can stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 (19 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 lb baked ham cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (5 oz) bag baby arugula

sliced wheat levain
garlic clove
olive oil

Cook garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, until golden, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, using kitchen shears, coarsely cut up tomatoes in can and add entire can to garlic and oil. Stir in broth, beans, ham and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Stir in greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.

While stew is simmering preheat boiler and add olive oil to a shallow plate, making a pool. Lightly submerge olive oil on plate and place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-4 inches from heat for about 1 1/2 minute. Remove pan and rub toasts with garlic clove.

Serve stew with toasts.

Sweet Potato and Almond Butter Soup

2011-10-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite fall soup. I love the almond butter in this soup, it kind of reminds me of curry with how sweet and rich it is. You can easily adapt this soup to be vegan by using vegetable broth and omitting the chicken.

I tweaked the original recipe by adding a yam along with the sweet potato and some small diced sweet peppers, which I think made the dish a lot more heartier and colorful.

This soup takes less than an hour to make from prep to finish making it a great go to weeknight meal.

Sweet Potato and Almond Butter Soup serves 4

Adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 large yam, peeled and diced

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)

1/2 cup almond butter

1 1/2 cup sweet peppers, diced (bell peppers or sweet mini peppers)

1 cup collard leaves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

Salt and pepper

Lime wedges for garnish

Heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Sauté until garlic becomes fragrant, about one minute. Add stock, sweet potato and yam and increase heat to bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer, add chicken and cover pot allowing to simmer for 15 minutes.

Add peppers and simmer for 5 minutes more covered. In a mixing bowl, whisk together almond butter and 1 cup of soup stock. Add the collard leaves and ginger to the soup and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for five minutes. Stir in almond paste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup into bowls with lime wedges for garnish.

Some Faves this Week:

2011-10-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the silence this past week on Fork and Vine, but I'm back now and ready kick this week off with a collection of some of my favorite inspirations last week. Etsy and Pinterest was definitely a running theme for me.

I've busy pinning up a storm on Pinterest this week. Here's a screenshot of some of my boards and a few of my favorite pins:

Photo by Kristian Schuller via Pinterest

Photo by Luminous Lu via Pinterest

Three Pink Poppies painting by Cherie Dirksen via Pinterest

Are you on Pinterest? I love it, but find it slightly addicting. I keep wanting to add more inspiration boards, but I'm already at a whopping 28 boards! Please feel free to share your Pinterest info; I'd love to start following you and see what fun stuff you're pinning!

Besides going "pin crazy" this week I've been "hearting" a lot of my Etsy favorites. I think Etsy is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have found so many great independent shop owners with unique wares and vintage treasures through Etsy. Here's what I've been loving this week:

Hanging fruit basket by Vessels and Wares

I love how creative Vessels and Wares has taken a classic kitchen staple and put a lovely spin on it. These are really unique and would love to get one of them to hang in front of my kitchen window.

20s Flapper silk chiffon dress via Lolanyevintage

This is not the only flapper dress I "hearted" this week, but it is my favorite. I am utterly in love with the 20s flapper/gatsby style. I love the draping and low waist, which elongates most figures...and let's be honest, I kind of have the hair to match! The colors of this dress remind me of the brushstrokes in a painting.

Floral wrapped rose cut diamond by Kateszabone

I've been following Kate Szabone's shop for a while and find her rings to be absolutely breathtaking. She works with fair trade stones that are rose cut laid in silver, yellow gold or rose gold settings. This ring is by far the most unique I have seen in her shop, both organic and romantic.

My last favorite is the music of Dan Auberach's protege, Jessica Lea Mayfield. She has been on constant repeat on my ipod this week. I get lost in her vocals as well as the Americana sound of the melodies. Beautiful.

Wine Wednesday: Montaribaldi 2009 Tre Stelle

2011-10-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. The colors...the food...and the wine are so comforting. I've been on my soup and stew kick lately and there is nothing I like to pair more with soup or stew more than a hearty Italian wine. For me Italian reds are synonymous with fall: earthy, spicy, peppery, leathery, chewy fruit with bright acid...gets me every time. The wine I am sharing with you today is actually an old standby favorite. I was first introduced to this wine back when I was a server and we had this on our wine list.

Today for Wine Wednesday I bring you Montaribaldi's 2009 "Tre Stelle" from Langhe. However, before I go into the wine I want to tell you a little bit about Langhe and the greater Barbaresco region and what makes it so great.

Map courtesy of ItalyandWine.net

This is a map of Barbaresco a region part of the greater Piedmont region. Piedmont is the most important and regarded regions of Italy due to Barolo, Barbaresco and Moscato d' Asti. Barolo is a region known for it's high quality production of the Nebiolo grape grown on careous marl. These wines are bold, tannic long lived wines. Barbaresco kind of plays the quieter little sister to Barolo. While also known for the Nebiolo grape grown on the same soil, Barbaresco is also planted with Dolcetto and Barbera. Nebiolo is usually harvest about a month earlier in Barbaresco than it is in Barbera which may contribute to it's higher acid, less diluted and lower alcohol than of Barolos. This is where the quieter younger sister comes in to play. All these factors make Barbaresco a pleasure to drink young: (3-10 years cellaring tops), brighter, juicier and more fragrant than Barolo.

Photo courtesy of Wine Guild of Charlottesville

This wine is a blend of all three of the varietals that I had mentioned earlier: Nebiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera hailing from Tres Stelle vineyard in Langhe. Montaribaldi has always belonged to the Taliano family. The newest generation has fought to keep the traditional winemaking techniques in place, saving the wines from falling to the trend of high alcohol levels and being overly oaked. I for one thank them for this because I find their wines to have great elegance and finesse. These wines pair well with a number of dishes from hearty stews, soups to Arancini, chicken or pork cutlets, pasta Bolognese, or roasted winter squash.

The Montaribaldi 2009 Tre Stelle has aromas of cherry, currants, potpourri, olives and tobacco. The flavors echoed some of the same including currants, dried cherries, savory herbs, olives with a singing acidity and moderate tannins. We enjoyed this wine with a tomato and bean stew and garlic toast (recipe to follow soon). I picked this wine up for $13.95 and it is definite favorite in our house, so I hope you give Barbaresco a try! Happy Fall!

Salmon Niçoise Salad

2011-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is a standby in our house, and although not really seasonally appropriate in fall or winter, it would be the perfect meal accompanied by a soup in either season. You can also easily adapt this meal to be vegan by omitting the eggs and instead of fish making a cannellini bean salad (which I have done before and it's turned out quite well).

Salmon Niçoise Salad, serves 4
Adapted from Everyday Food

For the Cannellini-Bean Niçoise Salad recipe go here.

Ingredients
4-5 red new potatoes
8 oz green beans, trimmed
2 skinless salmon fillets (about 6 oz each) or very high quality canned (2 cans)
2 heads red leaf, romaine, or boston lettuce
4 plum tomatoes
3 large eggs, hardboiled
1 medium red onion (not shown in pic)
1 jar or tin anchovy fillets drained (optional)
1/4 cup Niçoise olives
Dijon Vinaigrette

Dijon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk juice, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper until combined.
Whisking constantly, add olive oil in a slow steady stream; whisk until thickened.

In a 5 quart pot, bring 1/2 inch water to a boil, salt and add pototoes. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 14 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Add the green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cover and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove beans to a ice bath, drain and set aside.

Fill a deep skillet with 1/4 inch water. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Bring the water to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the salmon is opaque, about 10-14 minutes. Transfer to a plate and flake with a fork and allow to cool.

While the salmon is cooking, tear lettuce into pieces, quarter the potatoes and tomatoes, peel and quarter the eggs (use a wet pairing knife) and thinly slice the onion.

On a large platter, arrange all the ingredients and serve with the vinaigrette.

Polenta, Spinach, Kale and Sausage Soup

2011-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

One thing that I love to make during fall and winter is soups or stew. Will and I cozy up, make a fire and watch a movie with a warming bowl of soup. It's very comforting and easy to make when I come home from work.

This is another recipe from Power Foods, which I've adapted slightly. The original recipe calls just for spinach, but we had some leftover kale, which I threw in. I also added Italian sausage for a boost in protein, but you could easily leave it out for a vegan dish. Maybe even substitute beans for the sausage.

Potato, Spinach, Kale and Sausage Soup serves 4
Adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients
1 cup plus 4 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 Parmesan cheese, finely grated
3 cups baby spinach and kale, finely chopped
3 Italian sausages (optional)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
lemon wedges
cracked pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat and add a bit of water and sausages. Cover and allow to simmer until water is absorbed. Uncover and allow to brown and cooked through. Aprox. 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat to a paper lined towel and allow to cool slightly. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow and steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally until soup has thickened, about 8 minutes. Add cheese and 1/4 cup oil, stirring until oil is incorporated, about 1 minute. Stir in spinach, kale, salt and sausage. Cook and stir until greens have turned bright green and are slightly wilted, about 1 minute.

Divide soup among 4 bowls and drizzle with olive oil (or truffle oil if you have it) and cracked pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Some Faves this Week: Fresh Female MCs

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been digging listening to hip hop this last week and wanted to dedicate this week's Some Faves to some of the freshest female mc's out there. It takes some real tenacity to be a female vocalist in the male dominated hip hop industry and these ladies are some of my favorite:

First, is the ever so popular M.I.A. I really love her lyrical style and the beats and production of her songs are truly unique.

Second, is the new sensation, Kreayshawn. This song is unbelievably catchy.

The final two videos are from two amazingly, talented British hip hop and r&b singers, Ms Dynamite and Estelle.

I hope these ladies get you moving this next week!

An Outfit Post, Maxi-fied!

2011-10-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Fall! I am not ready for you yet...well maybe wardrobe wise I am. Our summers here in the Pacific Northwest have been getting shorter and shorter, and honestly I feel like we've been thrust into winter with the rain. I've picked up a few pieces for fall and winter recently and I am loving mixing them up!

One of my new favorites is this chevron/aztec printed skirt from F21! It is the perfect maxi length and looks great with wedges and boots. I've already worn it to work with a black blazer and draped oxford shirt. It kind of had this 70's working woman vibe to it! One of my coworkers told me I look like Mary Tyler Moore if she were cooler. I think that's a compliment?

I picked these clog-boots up last year on sale at Anthropologie. Their actually Sanita (the original Dansko) so they fit pretty comfortably. You can roll down the sueded leather to give them more of a bootie look.

Showing a little leg!

Details:

Sweater and Belt, H&M

Maxi Skirt, F21

Blouse, BCBG Max Azria

Boots, Sanita via Anthropologie

Necklace, Gift from Father

Spirit Saturday: Blackberry and Mint Crush

2011-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I have some serious blogging probs when I bring you another alcohol induced post! I think a tripod is on my Christmas list this year so that I can take my own outfit photos, otherwise I am waiting till Sunday for Will to take them.

I have been wanting to try this recipe for some time now. It has been on my Pinterest board, "Tasty Libations" for a while. It is definitely a late summer cocktail, so I suggest making it now before there are no blackberries to be found!

Warning: this cocktail goes down pretty easy so be careful to not drink too many!

Blackberry and Mint Crush, yields 1
Adapted from Martha Stewart

6 Blackberries
3 Mint Leaves, torn
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Simple Syrup
2 oz. Vodka
Seltzer
Mint for garnish

In a tumbler combine blackberries, torn mint, lemon juice and simple syrup. Lightly muddle until blackberries breakdown. Add ice to fill the glass and vodka. Stir until well incorporated. Add seltzer water and stir some more. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Wine Wednesday: Bodega Monteabellon 2010 "Avaniel"

2011-09-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

I feel kind of like a lush bringing you back to back posts on alcohol! From Spirit Saturday to Wine Wednesday this week has been kind of crazy and not allowed me to post something in between. My apologies for another alcohol centric post, but I'll have more recipes, and hopefully, an outfit post coming soon.

This week's wine is a great wine for easy drinking in the fall, winter or with some great bbq! Today I bring you a Tempranillo from Spain, and more specifically, the Ribera del Duero region. This week's wine is the Bodega Monteabellon's 2010 "Avaniel."

Photo courtesy of Portalis Wine Blog

Ribera del Duero is an important wine region in north central Spain. It is a large valley straddling both sides of the Duero river and most known for it's Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) production. It became a qualitative region, by receiving it's DO status in 1982, but is on the rise as one of the most notable regions in Spain. Ribera del Duero has extremete temperature changes from very cold winters to very hot temperatures, averaging 104 degrees Farenheit! It's growing season is short and snakes along the Duero with a variety of soil types of silt, clay, limestone and chalk. The Duero is also known for producing long lived wines, however I will be sharing with you a nice, easy drinking everyday wine.

Avaniel is a great value wine ($9.99 retail) from Bodegas Monteabellon comprised of 100% Tempranillo from various sites in the Duero. This wine is sourced from young vines of 6-10 years and is unoaked giving the wine a beautiful lively, fruit forward and fresh palate. It has aromas of plums, violets, green olives, fried padrons, cigar box and vanilla. The palate has low acidity, plums, cherry, nutmeg, clove, cured meat and fried padrons. This would be a great wine to pair with grilled vegetables, grilled lean steak, bbq, or roasted tomato dishes. We enjoyed this wine with a pesto, cherry tomato and farro salad and paninis.

A New Feature: Spirit Saturday, Old Fashioned

2011-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

I promised a new feature, and here it is: Spirit Saturday. In celebration of the weekend I will introduce a new cocktail recipe every Saturday, or at least try to.

This first post I will start off with one of my favorite cocktails and a true classic, the Old Fashioned. This is not a drink for the faint at heart...it pretty much is straight bourbon or rye. I am presenting to you the most pure and classic variation of this drink, which is easy to make and perfect for your upcoming Mad Men party!

The Old Fashioned name gives way to it's pre-prohibition existance, in the 1800's. It is composed of spirit, sugar, water and bitters. Although over the years this has fluctuated, but what I will share with you is the truly classic recipe. David Embury's classic 1948 book, "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks," considered the Old Fashioned to be one of the most important drinks.

The trick to crafting good classic cocktails is first starting with fine ingredients. This is not a cocktail you want to use well liquors for. This recipe is meant to best showcase quality bourbon or rye whiskey. Over the years this recipe has been bogged down by the addition of muddling fruit or the addition of lemon/lime soda which washes out the quality ingredients.

With that being said, let's gather our ingredients. You will need a quality bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar cube, bitters, orange and Amarena cherries. Here are some good suggestions for whiskey:

Blanton's, Woodford Reserve, Makers Mark, Basil Hayden, Elijah Craig (Bourbon); Old Rip Van Winkle Rye, Templeton, Rye One, Heaven Hill, Redemption Rye (American Rye Whiskey)

Next, you will want to muddle and dissolve the sugar with a few dashes of bitters and a teaspoon of water in an old fashioned or tumbler glass.

Then you will add ice to the glass and measure out 2 oz. of whiskey (Bourbon/American Rye) and add that to the glass.

Stir the whiskey and ice until well chilled.

Twist an orange peep over the drink to catch the pith and add twist to the cocktail. Add an amarena cherry as garnish.

Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Cocktail

1 sugar cube
1 teaspoon water
2 dashes of Angostura bittes (although I used Fee Brothers, orange)
2 oz. American Rye or Bourbon
Orange Peel
Amarena Cherry

Muddle sugar, water and bitters together until the sugar is almost dissoved.

Fill glass with a few cubes of ice, and then whiskey and stir to chill.

Garnish with orange peel and amarena cherry.

Salmon, Tomatoes Corn and Basil

2011-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little quite around here on the blogging front, especially with recipes due to the new job, my brother's wedding and endless summer activtivites. However, I'm happy to now get back into the swing of things and bring you another tasty recipe I've found recently. I tend to cook a lot more in the winter as we hunker down and spend most of the season being homebodies so stay tuned for more recipes and a new feature coming your way (the first will be posted this Saturday).

There is nothing I love more than late summer crop. Corn and tomatoes are the ultimate combo and I can't get enough of them in their short window of availability. Fall and Winter squash has started to creep into the produce section of the market and I am just not ready for it. Well, at least for now I can still get my corn and tomatoes and they will make an appearance in every dish until I can't get them anymore!

I saw this recipe over on Whole Living this week conveniently when salmon was on sale. The original recipe calls for striped bass, but salmon works just as well. This is a great late summer recipe that utilizes everything in your garden...or someone else's garden in my case!

Salmon, Tomatoes, Corn and Basil serves 2

Recipe Adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Salmon Fillets (6oz), skin on

Coarse Salt and Pepper

1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Serrano Pepper, ribs and seeds removed and sliced thinly

1/3 cup Dry White Wine

2 ears of Corn, kernels scrapped off

6 oz Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Basil, chopped

1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper and sear skin side down for 4 minutes. With a metal spatula, turn fish over and cook for 1 minute. Do not cook through, it will return to the pan later. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion to pan. Cook onion, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and edges are starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add remaining ingredients, except for the Basil and Cilantro. Make a couple of wells in the ingredients and return the fish skin side up to the pan. Cover and cook until the fish is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove fish from pan. Stir basil and cilantro into pan and spoon corn mixture into two shallow bowls and place fish on top.

Wine Wednesday: Domaine des Echardieres 2009 'Le Bécassou'

2011-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time again folks: Wine Wednesday! Today I have a reasonably priced red wine from one of my favorite regions: Loire, France. Even more specifically this Gamay and Cab Franc blend is coming from the most important Loire region, Touraine.

Map courtesy of Vins de Loire via Sniff and Quaff

As you can see the Loire is a pretty large region, stretching from Nantes on the far west of the region to Centre in the east. As wide as the region is the wines are just as diverse ranging in style from dry red and whites to sparkling wines with a diversity of varieties to match. I don't want to way you down with information of the Loire in general, so let's focus on Touraine.

Touraine is also home to a diverse group of varietals from whites made from Chenin Blanc, Arbois, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay; as well as red wines made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Meunier, Pineau d'Aunis and Grolleau. Soils in the region can vary from clay, sand, tuffeau and gravel as it snakes along both sides of the Cher River.

Domaine des Echardieres is a 39 acre vineyard on the left bank of the Cher river planted with Gamay, Cab Franc, Côt (Malbec), Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The vineyard and winery practices Terra Vitis, which is a sustainable approach to viticultural and vinification techniques. Domaine des Echardieres is committed to there sustainable approach from farming to wine making to packaging used.

The 2009 'Le Bécassou' is a cuvée made from 60% Gamay and 40% Cabernet Franc and retails for $11.99. It is a lovely, affordable wine ready to drink for weeknight dinners. It has aromas of cherry, raspberry, rose petals, limestone, cedar and cigar box. The palate has bright acidity and silky tannins with flavors of cherry, cocoa powder, clove and roasted bell pepper. It is a versatile wine for food pairings, but I would most recommend spring/summer vegetable dishes, Bass, Salmon or Lamb dishes of the lighter fare. I paired this with a Salmon, Tomato, Corn and Basil dish (recipe to follow this week), which was a nice compliment to the bright, juicy fruit of the wine.

Santé!

A Hike and the Wonders of Forrest Park (photo heavy)

2011-09-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you about our hike and some history about Forrest Park I wanted to warn you all that this post is considerably photo heavy with Retro app photos. I wanted to capture our fun adventure and as well as the beauty of Forrest Park, so bear with my trigger happy photos!

Forrest Park is one of those reasons that Portlanders have chosen this great city to live in. It's lush, full of trails and right in our backyard. I have Will to thank for the idea of this post, which is to share with you the wonders of Forrest Park and those who work to conserve it.

Crossing the St. Johns Bridge on our way to Forrest Park.

Forrest Park is the largest urban park in the country. It spans 8 miles on hillsides that overlook the Willamette River. The park covers 5000 acres of land and includes mostly second growth forrest with some old growth. There are 40 miles of trail loops throughout the park, which makes the park optimal, hiking, trail running, and cyclocross/mountain biking.

Some of the trails are more populated than others. We hiked through a less populated trail so that Cassidy could be off leash, although technically this is against the rules.

Forrest Park is home to 112 to native species of birds and mammals, which is largely due to the early conservation work that began in 1899 and has continued over the years. The City Club in 1948 worked towards preserving the inner 3000 acre core as city parkland. Friends of Forrest Park is a group that largely has worked on the conservation of the park, beginning in 1989. Their work has been so large and important to the conservation effort that their once small operation has now evolved into The Forrest Park Conservancy.

Forrest Park lies within the Western Hemlock zone and is populated by Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red cedar. I actually remarked to Will several times on the hike how fragrant the cedar was.

If you are visiting Portland I highly recommend strolling through the park and contributing to the Forrest Park Conservancy. You will see every shade of green we have in Oregon and have a greater appreciation for the conservation effort our city has in preserving the park and its inhabitants.

On another note, I am thrilled and honored to announce I was featured on Pocket Change's, Be @Home "Best of the Web." It's a great feature on their blog that introduces new and up and coming bloggers focused on design, food, fashion and lifestyle. Swing on by and check out some of the other bloggers that were featured!

An Outfit Post fit for #TwitterTeaParty

2011-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was #TwitterTeaParty hosted by Kait Souch. It was a fun event with some lovely ladies engaged in lively conversation, as well as recipes, diy tutorials and giveaways. In case you missed out on the party, check out this recap post on Kait's blog or search the hashtag, #TwitterTeaParty (not to be confused with the political group) to see the conversation.

I missed the boat on getting a tasty treat to accompany my tea. I did, however, get a little dressed up for the event. It has been a little cold and rainy the last week so I wore some knitted tights and new boots with my dress...it's definitely getting to be Fall around here.

I wore this flowery frock that I purchased some time back from the ever so lovely and stylish Maria Conifer of Lulu Letty as part of her "shop my wardrobe" store.

I also picked up these new Enzo Angiolini 'Saylem' boots just in time for Fall. I am really loving them and the antique leather finish and stacked heel. My new favorite Fall staple for sure.

My tea cup even matched the print of my dress!

Details:

Dress, Hot&Delicious via Lulu Letty

Sweater, H&M

Belt, F21

Tights, Anthropologie

Boots, Enzo Angiolini 'Saylem' via Nordstrom

Wine Wednesday: Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt 2009 RK Riesling

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

I know...it sounds frightening to pronounce, after all most German labels are a mouthful, but I promise you they are a gem and worth looking into! I am a lover of all wines, and that includes German wines despite their perplexing wine labels and laws. I am head over heels with their mineral expression, racy acidity and their vibrant, interesting bouquet and versatility in food and wine pairings.

This particular riesling is from Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt's RK label, which was introduced in 1999 in celebration of their 650th anniversary. Yeah, that's right...their 650th anniversary as an estate! This riesling is coming from one of the most notable regions in Germany: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. The Mosel is known as being relatively cool which is why they rely heavily on the steep, slated soils of the region as a nutrient for the vines as well as to retain any heat in the cooler months. Riesling is the dominant varietal planted in the area, but is also accompanied by Elbling and Müller-Thurgau.

Riesling is most known for their remarkably high acidity and sugar content. They can age for years due to these two factors, often aging as long, if not longer as excellent quality red wines, which most people find surprising. It is Riesling's high level of tartaric acid against its residual sugar which gives the wine balance. Often, they are very floral on the nose with stone fruits, apple, pear and a mineral expression. Rieslings, overall are quite easy to pair because of their variety and good structure. They range from dry to sweet. If pairing a dry or off-dry Riesling, pair with raw fish, white fish, shellfish, spring vegetables (like asparagus). They also pair well with hearty german dishes like schnitzel, gratin, sausage or scalloped potatoes. I often will pair Riesling with spicy Thai or Indian dishes because their acidity and sugar gives a refreshing, cooling effect to the spicy dishes.

A bit stylized, but the Mosel really does look like this. Source

It can be difficult to pick out decent riesling wines from Germany due to their confusing labeling and governing laws, as well as mass production of the grape. Here are some tips to help you out:

1. Look for the acronynms: QBA or QMP, which denote higher quality and stricter laws. However, Qualitätswein can have some good quality (like the one I am reviewing) wines, but is mostly a blanket term for most of Germany's production.

2. Use your wine steward! Do not be afraid to ask, that is what they are there for, and honestly that is what they live for. Wine Stewards, most anyway, love to help pick out a wine for you and tell you the story behind the wine. Let them help.

3. If you were going to ignore the second tip, then use the "shelf talker's" as a guide. "Shelf Talker's" are little cards displayed with the wines that offer abbreviated tasting notes and sometimes history or pairings. If you are new to pairing wines I find shelf talker's to be particularly helpful.

That is tartaric acid you see at the bottom of my glass.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt's RK label is a larger production Riesling coming from different areas throughout Mosel, Saar and Ruwer. However, it is quite lovely and a rare gem for Qualitätswein. The 2009 RK Riesling has a nose of Jasmine blossom, white peach, pear, slate and lime piths with flavors that echoed the same. It had zippy acidity and a slight effervescent quality which paired quite nicely with our Massaman curry dinner, and at $14.98 I found it to be lovely value wine.

Some Faves this Week:

2011-09-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

I am sorry things have been quiet around the blog front lately, but things have been crazy with work and my brother's wedding. I am happy to get back into the blogging mood and geared up to share some new recipes for fall. These are actually some of my faves from the last couple of weeks:

Source

I have really been enjoying My Yoga Online. It's like Watch It Instantly on Netflix, but for yoga. They have monthly membership and the videos are great. It's refreshing to get up a little early and do a quick practice before work or something to unwind before bed.

Source

Now, not just a fave this week, but of all time is the artwork of the late, Margaret Kilgallen. She has always been an inspiration to me; poetic and celebrating the greatness in every subject, even the ordinary. This week I have found myself constantly referring back to "Margaret Kilgallen: In the Sweet Bye & Bye," a collection of her work coupled with biography and interviews. It is a beautiful hardbound book put out by Redcat. I've been toying with the idea for a while now of getting my next tattoo of one of her pieces, Matokie Slaughter, a figure in folk history which is reoccurring in her work. I highly recommend checking out her and her work in these two videos: Margaret Kilgallen on ART:21 and Beautiful Losers.

Source

I love these little felt creatures by Sabina of Royal Mint. She was the featured seller on Etsy today and I instantly fell in love with her work and her interview. I really love folk art and her celebration of it and their stories. My favorite is Papuan Spirit Bear (seen above).

Okay, technically it was a week ago...but my favorite thing was witnessing and being included in the wedding of my brother, Keith and his bride, Theresa. I love these two and was so happy to be a part of their amazing wedding.

Youth Lagoon - Montana from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.

I am a little behind the times, but I have recently fallen in love with Youth Lagoon, their dreamy and howling songs. The music video "Montana" by Tyler T Williams is also no exception: it is beautiful, haunting and a sobering look at Americana.

Photo courtesy of Kait Souch

And lastly, it hasn't happened yet, but I am really looking forward to the #TwitterTeaParty this Sunday! I was reading the lovely, Miss Kait's blog this week and was so thrilled to see this announcement. I am excited to put on a pretty frock, sit down with some tea and chat it up with some awesome ladies this Sunday. Come and join the party! Don't forget to use the hashtag: #TwitterTeaParty.

Cork Taint and a Recipe

2011-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, there will be no Wine Wednesday feature this week due to a wine debacle I will share with you because this unfortunate thing may happen to you and I wanted to offer my advice in what to do. Last week when picking up wine for Wine Wednesday, I also picked up a bottle for this week. It was a steal of a deal; a village level red Burgundy from Joseph Drouhin, a key producer from that region. I was really excited to open it and share Wine Wednesday with my mom since she is visiting for my brother's wedding. However, when we opened the wine, I was extremely disappointed, it was corked. Corked is a term for TCA, Trichloranisole, a chemical reaction between chlorine, used to bleach cork, and phenol, a compound in the cork. Essentially it is a mold that grows in your cork and can ruin your wine with off putting aromas. These aromas can vary from very mild and just kill the natural aromas of the wine to very smelly like damp basement, wet cardboard or wet dog. It is not uncommon to have this happen, but decreases in chances with higher quality of wines because of the quality of cork used.

Source

Despite having a cellar full of wine, I have very few every day drinking wines and the point of Wine Wednesday is to share with you an affordable (under $25) bottle of wine that I find particularly intriguing. I opened up a back up bottle and found that it really was nothing to write about so, unfortunately there is no Wine Wednesday this week. I did want to share this story with you so that you know what you can do in the event this happens to you. Most wine shops will replace a corked bottle. It is considered a flaw of the wine and most places are happy to replace it for you. It's usually not a big deal to them because they will then have the distributor replace that bottle for them. Don't throw out the wine, just cork itand bring it back that evening, or the next day. If you wait too long to bring it back then it will become oxidized and they may not be able to tell if it was really corked.

I did not want to share my unfortunate story with you empty handed. So here is, as promised last week, a recipe for sautéed cod with lentils, onions and arugula. A perfect pairing to go with your bottle of Penedès white wine!

I am such a lentil fan! Super healthy and delicious and way more flavorful than having rice. I am really particular about lentils though. My favorite French lentils because they are tender when cooked, but still hold their shape. They are a perfect addition to salads and sides.

I added arugula do this dish, but spinach would work just as well.

So let's get started!

Sautéed Cod with Lentils serves 2
Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients
1 cup French green lentils, rinsed
2 tbl unsalted butter
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbl flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbl fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tbl Olive Oil
2 cups Arugula or Spinach

2 (6 oz) fillets of Pacific Cod, Pacific Halibut, or Haddock Fillet
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 black pepper
1 tbl unsalted butter
1 tbl Olive Oil
1/4 Flour

Cook the lentils: Cover lentils with cold water by 1 1/2 inches in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until lentils are tender, but not falling apart, 12-25 min. Drain in a sieve over a bottle, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a 2-3qt heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir in onions, garlic, and salt to cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is pale golden, about 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until onion is golden, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook the Fish: Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge fish in flour, shaking off all excess flour. Heat butter and oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add fish and cook, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile finish the lentils: Stir lentils into onion, along with reserved cooking liquid and arugula. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, pepper and oil. Serve fish a top lentils and drizzle with olive oil and lemon.

Wine Wednesday: Huguet de Can Feixes 2010 Blanc Selecció, Penedès

2011-08-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

In spirit of the last recipe post I have chosen a wine from Spain, more specifically, from the Penedès wine zone in the Catalonia region. This region is most known for Cava, a sparkling wine made in the traditional, Champagne method. However, I have chosen to feature a still white wine made from the same grapes used to make Cava. Penedès is just south of Barcelona, making it a popular go to region for those that live in Barcelona. White wines from the Catalonia region are lovely crisp, bright and perfectly paired with seafood, shellfish, and spring vegetables.

Huguet de Can Feixes' vineyards are situated at highest altitudes, at 1300 ft, in the Penedès region on chalky clay in extreme thermal conditions. These difficult growing situations give the wines their complex aromatics of chalk and flint.

Can Feixes Vineyard, Source

The Blanc Selecció is a white table blend comprised of Parellada (Native to the region), Macabeo, Chardonnay and Malvasía de Sitges. It is a beautiful, lively white wine with a touch of spritz-y effervescence. It had aromas of lemon, green anjou pears, oyster shell, chalk, wet stones and tarragon with flavors that echoed the same with some zippy acidity. This wine, although beautiful now, could also do well with some bottle age. If drinking it now, it would pair lovely with shellfish, light, flaky white fish or sashimi and most spring and summer vegetable dishes.

At $15 it is a bargain for a beautifully understated still white from an area most known for their sparkling wines. I enjoyed this with sushi and am saving the rest to pair tonight with Sauteed Cod on top of French Green Lentils with Onion and Arugula (recipe to follow later this week).

A Spanish tapas treat, Fried Padróns

2011-08-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love fried padróns, or Pimientos de Padrón. They are a traditional Spanish tapa that is super easy to make, and since they are in season right now I can't get enough of them! These make a great snack or addition to a party. Padróns can vary in heat levels from very mild to hot and are sweet little peppers.

Fried Padrón Peppers, serves 8

Ingredients
6 cups Padrón Peppers, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Coarse salt, relatively good quality (I used volcanic salt)

Over med-high heat a skillet with olive oil until it begins to shipper. Add peppers and cook until blistering, turning often to cook all sides. Remove peppers to a plate with paper towels to catch excess oil. Add peppers to a bowl and toss with coarse sea salt and serve warm.

A New Feature: Wine Wednesday

2011-08-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned earlier this week that I was starting a new feature, so without further ado, welcome to Wine Wednesday on Fork and Vine! Each Wednesday I will feature a new wine and share a little info on the wine, producer and region. I really enjoy talking about wine and sharing my knowledge and passion for it, but I also believe that wine is meant to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously. I hope you will walk away taking a little bit of info with you, at the very least making it easier to pick out wine in the super market or wine shop.

In order to take an unbiased approach I have chosen to not feature any wines from the winery I work for any wines from my previous employer, although they both make exceptional wines!

Now, raise a glass and we are on to the first wine!

For this first wine I chose a wine that is often under the radar and misunderstood in this country: Beaujolais. I actually plucked this wine from my cellar. It is a 2006 Domaine Pascal Berthier Saint-Amour.

Here is a little background on Beaujolais:

Beaujolais is a wine region in France. It is considered to be a part of Burgundy, mostly for location, but is a region in itself and governed by it's own rules separate from Burgundy's laws. The dominating grape of the region is Gamay, although Pinot Noir and Aligote are also grown there. Wines from Beaujolais vary in quality, as most places in the world, however the better quality are often shadowed by the higher production of their lower quality counterparts. There are three qualitative levels and one level separate: Beaujolais Noveau (A fruity, sometimes sweeter Beaujolais, released withing 7-9wks of harvest and meant to be consumed right away).

The Beaujolais I chose to feature is that of the highest quality region, although not particularly expensive, Beaujolais-Villages AC from Saint-Amour. Beaujolais Villages AC is are a collection of thirty villages in the Northern part of Beaujolais considered to be the highest quality.

In the United States, Beaujolais is usually synonymous with Thanksgiving dinner because it pairs well with most of the dishes, including Cranberry sauce, however I love Beaujolais anytime, especially in the summer! Don't get me wrong, I love white wine and rosé in the summer, but sometimes I really miss red wine and I am tired of the proverbial Zinfandel with bbq. The Gamay grape makes a delicious and refreshing red varietal great for summer. They are often characterized as light-med bodied with high acidity and low tannins with aromas and flavors like strawberry, cherry, bananas, bubblegum, white pepper, clove, and herbs.

Now for this wine in particular:

Domaine Pascal Berthier 2006 Saint-Amour had lovely, refreshing aromas of sweet strawberries, peaches, bubblegum, white pepper, vanilla and clove with flavors that echoed the same and a nice long peppery finish. It opened up nicely over the evening and we enjoyed it with grilled salmon with an asian marinade and a chickpea-raisin salad (it paired nicely with both).

Next time you are craving a bright and lively red wine I recommend giving gamay, and more specifically, Beaujolais a try!

Santé

That's a very bad blogger!

2011-08-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

It's true. I am a bad blogger. My apologies for going M.I.A. I guess I just needed to unplug for a while. It started with me coming down with a cold mid-summer (who gets sick in the middle of summer?) followed by my neck/back getting injured. You would think being laid up would give me ample opportunity to blog, but instead I just watched movies and episodes of Mad Men in bed.

Fear not friends, I am back and ready to kick butt at life! I have been feeling energized enough this last week to go out, I thoroughly cleaned my house yesterday, and have planned some new things for Fork and Vine. I will be unveiling a new feature this Wednesday so stay tuned, as for now I will stay mum to keep it a surprise.

Here are some shots from my hiatus to give you a clue as to what I've been up to:

Enjoying Happy Hour at Clyde Common with my friend Morgan.

We shared this pancetta wrapped trout stuffed with spinach. Yummers!

Watching the sunset on the waterfront with Morgan and some cold brewed Stumptown, which I probably should not have had at eight in the evening.

I put my new hand mixer (thanks Mom and Joe!) to some use and made whipped cream for this delicious trifle of gluten free angel food cake and berries.

One of our customers at work brought in these delicious tomatillos from their garden to share with our staff. I took some home and made a prawn stew with them. Recipe to follow this week.

Will's sister, Kate, was gracious enough to share her concert at the zoo tix of Imelda May with us. We met her and her kids and friend at the zoo. Emma and I had a good time dancing.

Kate captured this great photo of Will and I. We like to coordinate our outfits!

Last Friday I met up with my brother and his friends at Gilt prior to watching Will race in the Twilight Crit. My brother was kind enough to have a Moscow Mule waiting for me.

We then headed over to cheer Will on in the Twilight Crit. He did amazing, I am so proud of him!

To all my blogging friends, what do you when have a block? How do you stay motivated to keep up with posts? I'd really love to hear from you and how you combat these roadblocks!

Sunday Stroll, an outfit post

2011-07-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Will and I took a stroll through the Pearl District today while running a few errands at REI and Powells. I'm trying to keep it easy as I have come down with a virus. I hate being sick in the summer and seriously who gets sick in July? Me, that's who.

I love all the brick buildings and loading docks in the Pearl. It really is great composition for photos so we decided to snap some shots for an outfit post.

This blouse is a new find. My brother and his fiancee gave me a gift certificate to Nordstrom's for my birthday and I found this beautiful Nanette Lepore blouse at the Rack marked down from $250 to $38!

My wedges are Kork-Ease and they are the most comfortable platform wedges ever! I have completely fallen in love with cork shoes for how light weight they are.

Blouse, Nanette Lepore

Shorts, H&M

Shoes, Kork-Ease

Glasses, thrifted

I hope you all are having a fun and healthy summer!

Summer is....

2011-07-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Sippin' rosé outside.

Barbecuing with friends.

Coral polish and gladiator sandals.

Hood Stawberries!

Frozen yogurt sundays.

Roadtrippin'.

Beautiful Bend skies.

Fourth of July frock.

Picnicking in the yard.

Cherry stained fingers.

Fiestas!

Summer stew.

Outdoor forts.

Weddings.

Refreshing ginger lemonade (with bourbon).

Salad Niçoise.

Bike cruisin'.

Patio loungin'.

Toasting to new beginnings.

Birthday breakfast.

Birthday cocktail.

Some Faves this Week, Vimeo Edition

2011-07-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was really inspired and entertained by a lot of videos on Vimeo this week so I thought it only fitting to dedicate this weeks "faves" to some favorite videos I found on Vimeo.

The Village from Pedro Sousa | visuals on Vimeo.

This is such a charming little video of Lisbon shot through pinhole. It almost makes it look like an animation. I loved the soundtrack too, so fitting.

Lifetime Collective Spring/Summer 2012 "The Road Trip" from Salazar on Vimeo.

I am ready to go on a roadtrip now! This video was absolutely breathtaking and nostalgic. I feel so inspired to pack up my car and take off. Maybe Will and I can plan a roadtrip next summer.

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

The most beautiful film of baking/cooking I have ever seen. I love how they brought the romanticism back into the kitchen. The styling and imagery are just lovely.

bike lanes from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.

Lastly, but not least, something to make you laugh. It's a little slow going at first, but I promise you this video is hilarious. I agree that you should not ride your bike in the bike lane 100% of the time, especially in NYC!

Talisman and My Father

2011-07-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Kyla Roma

I really enjoyed reading this post by Kyla Roma today about her talisman. I loved that her talisman is a reminder of her wonderful life decision, but also encourages her to work hard for her goals. After reading, I was inspired to share my talisman.

My talisman is a gift from my father. It is an American Girl locket with a picture of him inside and is a reminder that he is always with me.

I asked for this locket for Christmas when I was nine. That year, my father showered me with gifts, including the locket, however it was the most treasured. I have always had this picture of him in it, even when he gave it to me.

When I was eleven my father died in a freak accident and for a while after, I wore the locket nearly every day as a reminder that he was still close. I am much older now and don't need to wear the locket every day to know that he is close in my heart, but when I do wear it I like to open it and look at his beaming face. It is a comfort to know he is there.

A Night Out at Beast

2011-07-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last week, Will and I went out, a night early, to celebrate my birthday. I had a gift certificate to Beast from the Bergström family so we decided to go there. We had been once before a couple of years ago, also a gift, but from Will's mom.

One entire wall of Beast is a giant chalkboard. It is a lot of fun with it's food centric quotes, recipes, kitchen conversions and PDX/Willamette Valley recommended eateries.

Will made our reservation for the chef's counter, which was a lot of fun to watch them plating all the courses.

I decided to have an additional wine pairing with all six courses of dinner!

Here's what we had:

CHILLED CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP
GARLIC CRÈME FRAICHE & TARRAGON SALSA VERDE
WEINGUT SATTLER ROSE OF ZWEIGELT 2010
BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA

CHARCUTERIE PLATE:
FOIE-GRAS BON-BON, SAUTERNES GELEÉ
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE, LEAF LARD CRACKER
PORK PATE EN CROUTE, ARAMAGNAC POACHED PRUNE
OLYMPIC PROVISIONS’ SALAMI
STEAK TARTARE, QUAIL EGG TOAST
WEINGUT NIGL GRUNER VELTLINER ALTE REBEN 2009
KREMSTAL, AUSTRIA

LAVA LAKE LAMB LOIN CHOP
WARM ARUGULA & BREAD SALAD, FRIED PROSCIUTTO
PICKLED BING CHERRY CONFITURE
CHATEAU PARADIS TERRE DE ANGES 2005
PROVENCE, FRANCE

GATHERING TOGETHER GREENS
CUCUMBERS, BASIL & BORAGE BLOSSOMS
CREAMY LEMON AND SAUVIGNON BLANC VINAIGRETTE
CLOS SERRE ROMANI PROVIDENCE BLANC 2009
ROUSSILLON, FRANCE

Unfortunately, I did not have photos of the last two courses, but they were delicious!

Here is what we had:

~SELECTION OF CHEESE FROM CHEESE BAR~
CARDOMOM SHORTBREAD
BITTERSWEET FARMS HONEY
POACHED APRICOT, FRIED MARCONAS
DOMAINE RICHOU ANJOU BLANC 2009
LOIRE, FRANCE

CHOCOLATE TORTE
RASPBERRIES, TAYBERRIES & BLACK BERRIES
LEMON VERBENA ICE-CREAM
CRACKED PEPPER TUILLE
BARBEITO MADEIRA CRISTOVAO COLOMBO 10 YR BOAL
ISLE OF MADEIRA, PORTUGAL

I had a very food centric couple of days for my birthday week. Although I have no actual food photos, I'll post some shots soon of my brother, his fiancee and myself out for tapas on Thursday, my actual birthday. I love food and wine so it was only fitting that I wanted to dine out and drink lots of delicious wine for my birthday. And in case you were wondering, I have kind of gone of the gluten-free diet...well at least for my birthday.

Ginger Lemonade

2011-07-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

We have a real weakness for ginger around here. In fact, a favorite libation around here is a Moscow Mule, which is ginger beer, vodka and lime juice served on the rocks in a copper mug. I like to add freshly grated ginger to give mine even more of a kick.

We drink Moscow Mules mainly in the winter (although I'm not sure why because it's quite refreshing) so I thought I would try out this recipe for ginger lemonade, which makes a nice refreshing summer beverage.

True to form I used a lot more ginger than the recipe called for and I loved it. The original recipe also called for straining out the ginger pulp, but I left the pulp in I think my recipe had a nice little kick to it.

At this point, I really wished I had a juicer because I juiced seven lemons and my hands were starting to hurt.

As a reward for all my effort I made it into an adult lemonade by adding bourbon. What a treat!

Ginger Lemonade serves 8

adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

7 cups of water, divided

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup ginger, peeled and grated

1 1/4 fresh lemon juice (from about 7 large lemons)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Lemon and lime slices, for garnish

Combine 1 cup of water, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, or until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Combine ginger mixture and juices in a pitcher with 6 cups of water and stir well. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon lime slices.

Scenes from the weekend

2011-07-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we attended my friends, Matt and Nichole's, wedding in McMinnville. The ceremony and reception were on her parent's property which is absolutely breathtaking. They had beautiful gardens, a sprawling lawn and cute little pathways linking them all. My photos do not even do it justice.

Nichole made these cute little signs throughout the gardens and pathways.

It's funny, but Will and I never partook in the photo booth because we were dancing so much. I literally spent the entire night laughing and on the dance floor. My calfs and abs are still aching from all the action!

We camped out with many of Matt and Nichole's friends. While setting up our tent I stole a couple of shots of them while they were posing for the photographer.

There was lots of beer and wine consumed, which may have explained all the dancing later in the evening.

I keep laughing every time I see this photo because I look crazy. This was during the bouquet toss and I was turning around to tell my friends how that bouquet was mine. FYI a little girl caught the bouquet. She's totally next to get hitched.

It was a beautiful wedding and Will and I had so much fun. Next up is my brother's wedding later this summer and I can't wait!

Some Faves this Week:

2011-07-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the silence the last couple days, but we've had quite the weekend. It's actually taken me a little bit to recover from all of it. On Saturday we went to a friend's wedding and camped out afterwards. I will post pics in the next couple days once I get them all edited. Here's a recap from some stuff I loved this past week:

To My New Backyard (A Love Letter) from Jaime Morrison Curtis on Vimeo.

This is such a lovely video I found via Design Sponge. Jaime Morrison Curtis, an LA based author and editor decided to transform her patio space into a summer time entertaining area and made this film to document the process. I am totally envious of the space and all the little touches.

Source

I must be trying to relive teenage angst or something because I have been addicted to watching My So Called Life this week. I can't get enough of Angela and all of her Jordan Catalano drama. It is seriously awesome.

I am officially on the Google+ bandwagon (thanks Kait for sending me the invite!) and I love it. I'm still trying to figure a lot of it out, but I really love how clean (free of ads) and organized everything is.

Source

Okay...okay...I cheated. Actually I cheated a couple times this week eating gluten. Once for a going away party at work on Friday, again at our friend's wedding, and lastly I had a major hangover craving for burgers. I had Will make a burger run to Little Big Burger yesterday evening. I think it totally made my week. I had two cheeseburgers (they are a little larger than a slider) with chevre and truffle fries with their house made fry sauce. I already want more.

And lastly I leave you with this gorgeous film of Paris as part of Live the Language's ad campaign. I found this via Kelly Ann's blog The Flowerchild Dwelling. My family and I have started to shop for airfare for our trip and I am getting really excited, but this film reminded me I need tackle learning the language asap.

Scenes from my new job

2011-07-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to share some photos with you of my first month at my new job. In June I began my new position as Assistant Retail and Hospitality Manager for Owen Roe.

We are on a private road so we are only open by appointment and it is quiet on our road, but I love driving up in the morning because of how gorgeous the road is framed by these trees.

There are sheep that graze throughout the property. I have heard that they sometimes get out...I hope this never happens on Saturdays when I work alone!

We recently bottled two of our chardonnays prior to me starting at Owen Roe and now have released one of those chardonnays so we had a staff tasting of the two to share our personal tasting notes. Aren't the labels lovely and unique? I especially love the woodcut label we have.

My tasting notes.

One of the best perks about my new job is that we have a family style lunch Monday through Friday. We have a couple of chefs on staff, and one that makes their own wine at the winery, that make the most amazing meals. Our winemaker and owner believes in using the freshest, local ingredients and gathering together to enjoy it. I thing it's a wonderful philosophy and is practiced throughout European wine regions year round.

Journal Day #2, Giving My Life Purpose

2011-07-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

I am happy to bring you another installment of Journal Day. I am really happy to participating in this community of bloggers sharing their journal entries, as well as a big thanks to Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet for organizing, hosting and providing the prompts for this journaling activity.

The older we get, the more certain we get about who we are and what our purpose is. For me, a lot of it is still unknown, but as I make my way down my own path, I have begun to realize that there are indeed some inevitable truths that I know for sure. On your own blog, write a post that talks about "the one thing you know for sure."

While I do not know yet, in the greater scheme of things, what my purpose is I do know the one thing for sure is that I need to have an activity to stay focused on. This one thing may or may not be what my purpose is as an individual, but it gives me purpose in my life. I have always needed some sort of activity to focus my attention on in order to be a successful person, and maybe we're all this way, but speaking for myself, I am lost without one thing to work towards and I can admittedly say I have been lost for many years of my life.

When I was young, I was an aspiring dancer and was in company for both jazz and ballet. Even as a child, I worked very hard on my craft and despite being a shy child, felt that performing helped me come out of my shell a bit. In high school, I focused on two things: my athletics and leadership as a track captain, as well as my love and passion for writing. As I worked on both of these I only flourished as an individual and a student. I only wish I had continued these activities on in college; I am sure others in my family wish the same thing. Without having a clear focus or some activity to work on I lost site of my goals. I focused more on activities that didn't matter, that didn't better me as a person and inevitably made me do poorly in school to the point where I dropped out of school. This is my biggest regret.

When I speak about being lost it is a painful thing for me to talk about. I was lost for many years in the last decade. After not doing well in school I moved to Portland, nearly six years ago hoping a change in scenery would help. Will and I met while I was in the midst of my fog, and bless his heart, he still saw the good and potential in me as a person. He has been with me through turbulent times and has seen me grow and change over the last four years, as I have seen him evolve and grow as a person and with his passions.

It now has been three years since my passion was reignited and I feel I have something greater to work towards. I enjoy food and wine and everything that goes along with it. Starting this blog has been an extension of that and has given me greater focus, or at least one step closer, to purpose in my life. I am better at everything else in my life because my focus towards my passions. I can think clearer, I am better at maintaining the relationships that are important to me, I procrastinate less and less and am thriving in my career. I am not quite sure yet if my passion for food and wine is my purpose in life, but I can say for sure that it gives me purpose.

Summer Vegetable Stew

2011-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe for summer stew on Dawn's Recipes via Foodgawker. I am totally addicted to Foodgawker. It's like Pinterest, but just for food and drink. I spend entirely too much time drooling over the photos and occasionally I will try my hand at the recipes.

The recipe calls for serving it warm or at room temp., but I enjoyed the stew at room temp. and chilled the next day.

I don't know why I haven't been doing this technique of mincing garlic sooner, but I am in love. I think I might have seen it on another blog, but it's super time saving. However, if you're cooking the garlic at medium temp or more I would advice against this technique as it would burn..

I might have mentioned before that I am a control freak in the kitchen. Well I am also pretty tidy and organized too. I like to practice "mise en place" in my kitchen. It's a French culinary technique which literally means "everything in place." It is a very useful technique in which everything is prepared, measured out and utensils are placed out so that you are not trying to find something when you've already begun cooking. It is a very useful and efficient culinary technique which requires a bit of practice, but it will save you time and worry when cooking.

I'd be interested in adding a little pepper to this recipe and blending it into a gazpacho. I love gazpacho and this recipe has all the awesome summer ingredients to make an amazing gazpacho.

Hop on over to Dawn's Recipes for the Summer Vegetable Stew recipe.

Some Faves this Week:

2011-07-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a roundup of my favorite things this week:

Going record shopping at Mississippi Records with my neighbor Pam. I picked up a great soul album by Marva Whitney that was produced by James Brown. I came home immediately and played said album at full volume.

Building a fort in my yard so I could enjoy the sun and the shade simultaneously. Cassidy didn't quite understand what it was all about.

Screen shots of Gone with the Wind via Netflix

I watched the first half of Gone with the Wind this week for the first time in fifteen years. While the content and subject matter is rather questionable, I forgot how beautiful the set and cinematography was.

Photo courtesy of Simply Recipes

I'm dying to try this very refreshing recipe by Elise at Simply Recipes for Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca. I wish I had the ingredients now so I could be enjoying this in my fort on such a summery Portland day.

I know it's summer and you really should be taking advantage of the lovely weather and being outside, but one of my favorite summer activities is to go to the movies on a hot day. I can't wait to see The Trip. This looks hilarious and earlier this spring I heard the NPR, Terri Gross interview about it which was quite entertaining.

Speaking of going to the movies, having date night with Will last Sunday to see Midnight in Paris was my absolute fave this week. Love love love.

Cherry Clafoutis (FAIL)

2011-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

I feel it is only right to share my culinary failures to show you that I am, unfortunately, human and do not always have culinary triumphs in the kitchen (although I would like to). In fact, I often have fails, but I mostly choose not to share them. I did, however, choose to share this fail because it tells you a little bit about myself and who I am in the kitchen. This fail is gluten-free cherry clafoutis.

Let it be known: I am not a baker. I have never been a baker and probably never will be a baker. I am a cook. That is not to say that I condemn baking. I love baking, I wish I could do it successfully, I admire those that do it successfully. I long for the days that I could easily whip up croissants, pie crust, or cupcakes like it ain't no thing, but sadly I am sure that day will never come. I blame it on my genes. This will come as no surprise to anyone in my family, but I come from two generations of non-bakers. My mother is not a baker and my grandmother is not a baker. I don't think either will be offended that I shared this, in fact my mother will freely admit she is not a baker. She is a cook, and a great one at that if I might say so! As for my grandmother, the only thing I remember her baking are her chocolate chip, M&M cookies and who doesn't love candy in cookies? They are delicious and I still love them.

Honestly, I don't know where I went wrong in this recipe. I followed a recipe verbatim, but it just didn't turn out well. I'm not really sure if it is the recipe or that I didn't cook the clafoutis long enough, but it ended up being very egg-y. It kind of tasted like sweetened scrambled eggs. Will tells me I'm too hard on myself (he practically ate the whole thing as I wouldn't touch it beyond the first slice), but this clafoutis was just wrong. And who messes up clafoutis? It just tells you how bad of a baker I am.

Really, the point of all of this is to prove how bad of a baker I am, after all I have my faults, I'm only human. I will stick to cooking and the few things I can bake, like berry crisp, and save baking for those with the patience and talent that can bake. I hope this weekend to follow up this post with berry crisp as redemption and show you the one thing I can bake.

...and if you can bake, you are always welcome at my house. I promise I'll make you a mean cocktail and a delicious meal!

FYI, Cassidy enjoyed the rest of my slice.

Fork and Vine

Spirit Saturday: Silver Fizz

Vintage Green Maxi Dress, an outfit post

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes (Gluten-Free)!

Ballet Pink and Jagged Lines, an outfit post

My Etsy Picks: Calling Cards

Tie Dye Tuesday

Spirit Saturday: The Clark Gable

Spice Roasted Squash with Lentils and Arugula

Kelly Moore "The Posey 2" Bag

Roasted Winter Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

DIY Project: Shadow Box Jewelry Holder

Brunch Success and the Fine Art of Polenta

Pretty Frocks and Country Living

A Special Birthday

Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits

Whole Living Action Plan and Chanterelle Tacos

A Holiday Outfit Post

Happy New Year...and to a New, Fitter Me!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Christmas Vacation, a photo post in two parts

Red Flannel Hash

What's in My Bag?

Some Faves this Week:

A Certain Someone's Birthday!

Thanksgiving in Pictures

Giving Thanks

Blogging and Words to Live By

Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Escarole

Spirit Saturday: Tamarind Whiskey Sour

Hanger Steak with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce

Wine Wednesday: Saint Cosme Little James' Basket Press

A Busy Time: Harvest 2011

Fast White Bean and Ham Stew

Sweet Potato and Almond Butter Soup

Some Faves this Week:

Wine Wednesday: Montaribaldi 2009 Tre Stelle

Salmon Niçoise Salad

Polenta, Spinach, Kale and Sausage Soup

Some Faves this Week: Fresh Female MCs

An Outfit Post, Maxi-fied!

Spirit Saturday: Blackberry and Mint Crush

Wine Wednesday: Bodega Monteabellon 2010 "Avaniel"

A New Feature: Spirit Saturday, Old Fashioned

Salmon, Tomatoes Corn and Basil

Wine Wednesday: Domaine des Echardieres 2009 'Le Bécassou'

A Hike and the Wonders of Forrest Park (photo heavy)

An Outfit Post fit for #TwitterTeaParty

Wine Wednesday: Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt 2009 RK Riesling

Some Faves this Week:

Cork Taint and a Recipe

Wine Wednesday: Huguet de Can Feixes 2010 Blanc Selecció, Penedès

A Spanish tapas treat, Fried Padróns

A New Feature: Wine Wednesday

That's a very bad blogger!

Sunday Stroll, an outfit post

Summer is....

Some Faves this Week, Vimeo Edition

Talisman and My Father

A Night Out at Beast

CHILLED CREAM OF TOMATO SOUPGARLIC CRÈME FRAICHE & TARRAGON SALSA VERDEWEINGUT SATTLER ROSE OF ZWEIGELT 2010BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA

CHARCUTERIE PLATE:FOIE-GRAS BON-BON, SAUTERNES GELEÉCHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE, LEAF LARD CRACKERPORK PATE EN CROUTE, ARAMAGNAC POACHED PRUNEOLYMPIC PROVISIONS’ SALAMISTEAK TARTARE, QUAIL EGG TOASTWEINGUT NIGL GRUNER VELTLINER ALTE REBEN 2009KREMSTAL, AUSTRIA

LAVA LAKE LAMB LOIN CHOPWARM ARUGULA & BREAD SALAD, FRIED PROSCIUTTO PICKLED BING CHERRY CONFITURECHATEAU PARADIS TERRE DE ANGES 2005PROVENCE, FRANCE

GATHERING TOGETHER GREENSCUCUMBERS, BASIL & BORAGE BLOSSOMSCREAMY LEMON AND SAUVIGNON BLANC VINAIGRETTECLOS SERRE ROMANI PROVIDENCE BLANC 2009ROUSSILLON, FRANCE

~SELECTION OF CHEESE FROM CHEESE BAR~CARDOMOM SHORTBREADBITTERSWEET FARMS HONEYPOACHED APRICOT, FRIED MARCONASDOMAINE RICHOU ANJOU BLANC 2009LOIRE, FRANCE

CHOCOLATE TORTERASPBERRIES, TAYBERRIES & BLACK BERRIESLEMON VERBENA ICE-CREAMCRACKED PEPPER TUILLEBARBEITO MADEIRA CRISTOVAO COLOMBO 10 YR BOALISLE OF MADEIRA, PORTUGAL

Ginger Lemonade

Scenes from the weekend

Some Faves this Week:

Scenes from my new job

Journal Day #2, Giving My Life Purpose

Summer Vegetable Stew

Some Faves this Week:

Cherry Clafoutis (FAIL)

CHILLED CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP
GARLIC CRÈME FRAICHE & TARRAGON SALSA VERDE
WEINGUT SATTLER ROSE OF ZWEIGELT 2010
BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA

CHARCUTERIE PLATE:
FOIE-GRAS BON-BON, SAUTERNES GELEÉ
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE, LEAF LARD CRACKER
PORK PATE EN CROUTE, ARAMAGNAC POACHED PRUNE
OLYMPIC PROVISIONS’ SALAMI
STEAK TARTARE, QUAIL EGG TOAST
WEINGUT NIGL GRUNER VELTLINER ALTE REBEN 2009
KREMSTAL, AUSTRIA

LAVA LAKE LAMB LOIN CHOP
WARM ARUGULA & BREAD SALAD, FRIED PROSCIUTTO
PICKLED BING CHERRY CONFITURE
CHATEAU PARADIS TERRE DE ANGES 2005
PROVENCE, FRANCE

GATHERING TOGETHER GREENS
CUCUMBERS, BASIL & BORAGE BLOSSOMS
CREAMY LEMON AND SAUVIGNON BLANC VINAIGRETTE
CLOS SERRE ROMANI PROVIDENCE BLANC 2009
ROUSSILLON, FRANCE

~SELECTION OF CHEESE FROM CHEESE BAR~
CARDOMOM SHORTBREAD
BITTERSWEET FARMS HONEY
POACHED APRICOT, FRIED MARCONAS
DOMAINE RICHOU ANJOU BLANC 2009
LOIRE, FRANCE

CHOCOLATE TORTE
RASPBERRIES, TAYBERRIES & BLACK BERRIES
LEMON VERBENA ICE-CREAM
CRACKED PEPPER TUILLE
BARBEITO MADEIRA CRISTOVAO COLOMBO 10 YR BOAL
ISLE OF MADEIRA, PORTUGAL