4 Days in Portland- Day 4

Day 4

Bean and Rice Bowl

Trio of Tacos

Porque no Taqueria - my last meal in Portland and overall, I like this place: it's fresh, delicious and affordable.  At first I just ordered  Shrimp, Fish and Calamari Tacos.


The best part of the trio was the Fish Taco-- which was fantastic. I could taste all the flavors: pineapple, lightly fried fish, cabbage and cilantro.


Not wanting to missing out on another potentially good dish--I then ordered Bean and Rice bowl--which was sadly disappointing. All the different kinds of mushy textures were a bit of a turn off--but I don't regret trying it out.


On our last meal in the States was dinner at the Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham, WA.

I ordered the Pork Chop that came with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Brocolini. A very satisfying meal--the cream sauce was not overwhelming, the Chop was well cooked, the Potatoes were the kind you crave and the Brocolini was tender and lovely (even Adam ate his).  The three others all ordered the Meatloaf with the same sides--and I didn't ask to try any because Meatloaf (yuck) is a turn-off for me.

Pork Chop

Meatloaf

It's been some time since my trip to Portland and I've had some time to reflect. I long to go back. Portland is how I always imagined the West Coast--it's new, laid back and people know how to work to live and not live to work. Portland's it.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

4 Days in Portland- Day 3

Day 3

Walked past Kenny & Zukes- a couple of times during my stay and it was always packed. Gustavo and I decided that we had to try it out--rain or shine. 

Kenny and Zukes was worth it the wait and the price. I decided to try something new:

Bagel with cream cheese,
pickled onions, tomato, capers
& one of the following........................11.95
· gravlax (cured salmon)
· nova lox (smoked salmon)
· whitefish salad

I ordered a Poppy Bagel with Scallion Cream Cheese and Gravlax. I loved the Gravelax, Capers and pickled Red Onions. Great light brunch to finish off the morning.

I also ordered a Matza Ball soup--I wasn't too crazy about it. It was flavorful but nothing special.

For Dinner we ventured to Trebol- I ordered Garlic Clams with Potatoes and Cilantro and afterwards a Bean and Chorizo Taco- both very good - The Clams were light and delicious and the Beans were smokey and lovely.

For a digestif went to Moloko- tried out the Oolong Ice Tea and liked it so much I had another and another.

Day 1

Day 2
Day 4

Steamed Rockfish with Ginger and Scallions Recipe

 My local market had Rockfish on special  the other day, so took the opportunity to make one of my favorite dishes: Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions. I love this dish--it's light, flavorful and easy to make.

Ingredients

1 Rockfish or any white fish (in this meal I used a fillet instead of whole fish)
1 tablespoon of Sugar

2 dashes of Sherry

1 clove Garlic, minced
1 1-inch knob Ginger, julienned or shredded with a microplane
1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
2 dashes of Soy Sauce

2 stalks Scallions, thinly sliced

Special equipment – Bamboo steamer

Preparation

Clean your fish and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Place Fish on heat-safe plate and sprinkle fish with Sugar and marinate in Sherry for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients to Soy to Fish. Fill wok with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to boil. Carefully set your plate on the Steaner rack, then cover with the lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on how thick your Fish is in the middle. Check for doneness by poking the flesh with a spoon or chopstick at the thickest point; if the flesh flakes off easily, your Fish is done. 

Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Attack of the 9lb Paella

A little while ago, Gustavo said to me: I'm thinking of making Paella. I said: I am there! What I love about Paella is that it's social and hands on. What I I didn't know that this wasn't going to be Saturday Brunch but an event, because Gustavo bought a 9 lb lobster!

Truth be told--I got way too drunk to remember his recipe but everyone and their Mother has a Paella recipe so there's plenty to choose from. The best part for me was cracking the Lobster shell with a hammer--we got a noise complaint from the neighbor but bollocks to him. Cheers, Gustavo!

  





Too big to fit in the pot



Simmering away



Green Leafy Vegetable #46: Watercress

Getting back to my Green Leafy Vegetable List:

Sauteed Watercress

Ingredients

Bundle of Watercress

Garlic

Preparation

Wash and chop Watercress

Smash Garlic with heavy knife and mince

Heat  Wok. Add a dash of Oil. Add Garlic and let cook for a minute. Add Watercress, stir and cover for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water to Wok and cover. Cook until Watercress is tender and dark green. Add  Salt to taste. Eat with rice or noodles. Compliments tofu, fish, chicken and pork dishes.

Extra! Extra! Read All about it: I (still) hate Chill Winston

I don't know why people come to Chill Winston--probably to sun and be seen but I'll tell you what--it's certainly not for the over-priced food or drinks.

A little while ago, my cousin-in-law was visiting, from Australia, and wanted to go to Chill Winston's for brunch.  I thought to myself: What the hell, let's try not to be so picky. I decided I would give the CW Menu another try and ordered the Crab Salad.

It was crap-tacular and what a waste of money. The Lettuce had more flavor than the Crab and the dressing didn't bring out the sweetness of the Crab meat at all but just sort of stayed stubbornly on my palette.

If I must--will drink there but won't be wasting another opportunity of a precious meal if I can help it. 

   

Da Gino Ristorante Italia Restaurant Quick Review

We ordered out for the office and couriered food from Da Gino (475 West Georgia St Vancouver, BC V6B) the other day and what a disappointment.

I ordered Vongole and what I got was a tasteless pile of pasta with an occasional clam. Preferred Red Card's Vongole. Ideally, I want to love a family restaurant more but food's food.