A Fancy Dinner In

I have been working up a storm. I have a store now, and I work nights sometimes for extra money, so my honey and I have had fewer meals together than we used to. So we decided, based on a bottle of wine that his parents gave us for Christmas, to plan a romantic dinner in, for two.
we made tortillas from scratch, and roasted pork to go onto them. spicy tacos! yum. for dessert we had raspberry brownies.
and we dressed in our finest.
xo
Emily

Chanterelle bounty

Love Pie. xoxo

Breakfast.

Homemade burger buns

Homemade Ravioli

Lemon loveliness

Lemon pie...mmm

Homemade baguettes

Burger at Le Pigeon

My shop/studio is right across the street from award winning restaurant Le Pigeon. My shopmate and I went and had a burger there and were blown away. I guess they only make 5 a night, so get there early. I love the presentation as well, the wooden plate, the knife thru the center...
yummmmm.

Korean with Dad and my honey

I don't know why I don't eat here more often. This lovely delicious place is called Bewon, and is in NW Portland on 23rd ave. They have great lunch specials. Most of all I love the many little tastes of kimchis and beans and fish that come with each entree. I ordered the Bi Bim Bap. my favorite.

Eating so well

We have been eating pasture fed bacon!!! Yawwwazzza! $12 lb but the
best for my tastebuds and belly and planet!

Birthday Love

My first try at Eggs Sardou. oh man.
it was Matt's 30th birthday so we spoiled him with a decadent brunch.
Matt being very serious with lovely sun stripes. Erin in the background tending the stove.
Salty dogs are a great compliment to a brunch like this.

To birthday!!!!

healthy and delicious, just like you

This meal consists of:
Albacore Tuna with Mango Avocado sauce
Balsamic asparagus
brown rice with butter
Homemade Sunomono salad

heart shaped Ahi Tuna

veggie pot pie with fillo crust

mmm, my cleanse is almost over and I will be able to eat this again!!!

Fritatta

elimination

so, as a lover of food, I was a little distressed when my naturopath recommended that I go on the anti inflammatory diet for 3-6 weeks.
I am now on the 10th day, and finding that there are still wonderful things I can eat.
however, I haven't been taking as many pictures, I suppose there is still something missing, that flaky crust, the smelly cheese, the perfectly cooked egg....

this photo is of a peach pie I made last month for a new years day dinner when my boyfriend's parents came up to visit. it was everything a good pie should be: flaky, sweet, melting, and so comforting....

romantic winter meal

Naked Chef

My boyfriend made me a delicious burger, wearing nothing at all except a tiny apron and a big smile.
1/3 pound beef hamburger
avocado
gruyere
tomatoes

salt and pepper
and a salad with Riverhouse blue cheese dressing!

taking stock

There is a first time for everything and I plan on doing more of these firsts. A new favorite was making my first roast. I gathered a handful of friends last minute, with galoshes and baskets for mushroom hunting in the woods, but decided that before we left, we must make a roast and put it in the oven before we headed to the forest.

This made me nervous at first, my landlords wouldn't be happy to find the house burn down, and neither would I. but this seemed more common place in the past, to leave your food baking for long slow hours, and now we rely so much on microwaves (which I have not ever owned and will never), and on fast food, and take out and chips and salsa!



here is the wine/tomato sauce cooking and reducing so flavorfully on the stove before poured over the large chunk of beef..

it was so mouthwateringly delicious, I plan on making another for the holidays this year.

home made pizza.

I have an allergy to something, whatever it is, as soon as i eat it a terribly burning rash breaks out over my cheeks and around my mouth. my suspicion is that it might be tomato based products, one of which goes traditionally on pizza....
so we made an olive oil base under the feta, caramelized onions, red peppers and artichokes!!

Matt's first pie crust

As a tasty way of getting to my heart, as anyone who knows me at all, is probably at least partially through my stomach, my sweetheart made his first pie crust ever and picked apples off a neighbor's tree.

the crust he put in plastic in my fridge and we planned on rolling it out and finishing the pie together, but instead I made a peach custard pie for a party with his amazingly flaky crust.
the apples were later made into a crisp...you can just feel the love: steamy and spicy!

empty fridge

it has been a few months since I actually went to the store and bought more than one bag of groceries.
I like to go everyday depending on my whims and what my stomach is growling for.
still, out of this empty mess, I made a delicious breakfast of fried eggs over toast and salad.

Broder

There is something to be said for presentation. Actually, i find that if the food looks disgusting, no matter how delicious, it will most likely taste worse than the same delicious food prepared with delicacy and care towards the presentation. 

At Broder,  at 2508 SE Clinton, they do both: dish up tasty Danish food that makes your mouth water and your stomach happy with small but perfect portions and the BEST potato pancakes in town, and make your eyes glint with love for the design of the space, and the classic dishware. 

And mostly they make the tastiest bloody mary's in town. I have had 3 of them over the last year, and one was a little too spicy, but they are strong on the alcohol and garnished with housemade pickled cucumbers and golden beets....

perfect for an autumn breakfast. 

a housesitting dinner

I house sat for my lovely friend Natasha in september, and had the opportunity to play house in the most marvelous way...
this is one of the many meals I shared during that week.

natasha bought me the Cameroni rose´ as a gift for staying with her cat... it was delicious.

fancy tights...

the last light of summer on skin...

fried bees

Tonight I am in Las Vegas on the 32nd floor of the Signature at MGM Grand. It is midnight, and all day I worked at Project tradeshow selling organic cotton sweatshirts and dresses, by the amazing Seattle based brand Prairie Underground.

Now, in the comfort of my king sized bed, I watch a man on the Travel Channel eat fried bees in Taiwan. Salted Pork that sat out for 2 weeks, and chicken uteri soaked in cinnamon.

I barely have a TV at home, and generally prefer to travel in real life, but there is something about the scaliness of Las Vegas , the 107 degree heat, the neverending chill of miles of AC and even more miles of fake women, and more gladiator sandals than anyone should ever see in their lives, that makes me want to curl up in short shorts and drink wine in bed and watch a thick and smiling white man devour bizarre cultural delicacies .

So with a tired head and body, a belly full of room service, and clean cotton sheets heavy over me, I travelled to Taiwan and could almost smell the steaming soups. The aromas drifting through the vast market places wrap me in sweet slumber.

taking in beauty in all things

whiskey with my water
sugar in my tea
my sails in rags
with the scatters and the jags

i dream
a highway
back to you.
(lines from a gillian welch song)

this photo was taken by my friend matia kelly, at her dad's ranch in eastern oregon. myself and jessica by the pool after a day of hiking, drinking wine and lovely conversation. oh and naps....
i left my camera the other night at a friends house, on her porch, it will return shortly. until then:

poetry
Las Vegas
105 degree weather
new love?
rain on my tomatoes
and very sound sleep....

seeking nourishment

mouth seeking nourishment:
seeking something soft and wet
something healthy
seeking a cooler today, so things might have been different.
seeking strength

belly seeking fulfillment:
all the peach crisp in my kitchen
and i can't take a bite.


picture of joni mitchell to inspire my spirit and remind me to eat...

a good bye dinner

making peach cobbler from scratch...
oh the bounty of summer! the way tiny tomatoes burst in your mouth!
I grew basil on my balcony this summer and made really garlicky pesto! and then made pesto pasta. here are all the stages...yum


my friend Eliot Rose moved to Berkley California to attend grad school, and we ate fantastically as always in his presence to send him off to new friends, adventures and learning.
Eliot is pensive about something....and Jeevan is wondering who is making the mojitos.
my friend jessica made lemon feta a few days before, and I decided to try my had at it. i soaked the feta and oil with lemon rind and whole lemons.
Eliot made tilapia fish tacos with delicious accoutrement...

a green sahara

Mike Hettwer / National Geographic Society

Archaeologist Helene Jousse holds up a belly plate from a soft-shelled turtle found in a Tenerian garbage dump.

Scientists uncover skeletons thought to be as old as 10,000 years, when monsoon rains created a 'green Sahara.'

wowow!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-sahara15-2008aug15,0,583067.story

beast, oh my god

i have the menu,
and I will enter it in tomorrow. now it is 12:33 am, and I just rode my little brown raleigh bike home from the best dinner i have ever eaten.
it was at beast, the fixe prix establishment operated by Naomi Pomeroy, and I have been there 2 times before, but this blew it out of the water!


i am excited like the breeze cooling down my room on this sweltering august night!
the food made me blush like a thousand roses in bloom!
the wine pairings danced in my mouth with grace and precision!

pictures and menu and story to come later.....

oh
my
god.
yum!

Kir

On First Friday on east Burnside, Matt, Abe and I walked around to a few galleries and stores. The drummer for Love Menu, Emily Baker, opened a boutique where she sells her wonderful jewelry and other lovely things. I had a few watercolor paintings on the wall.
After looking around and saying hello, and eating homemade tartlets, we walked over to a new little wine bar called Kir, that is in the old space on 7th and NE Burnside where L'Astra used to be.
I went to the opening a few weeks ago with my friend Natasha who knows everyone.
above is the trout salad.
Matt really loved the red wine that the sweet owner suggested.
Abe got the same one. yummy.

1920's soiree

Matia and I in the women's lounge

Jessica Moskovitz is one of those wonderful women who always has put the right amount of thought into the details. For her birthday this year, she asked everyone to join her at a prohibition inspired speakeasy called The Secret Society Lounge on N. Russell above Toro Bravo.
She asked for no gifts(with the exclusion of good booze), but she did request all invited to dress the part. She did not call the bar to let them know that her entourage would show up dressed to the 9's in our 1920-1940's regalia.

The cocktails at the bar were all prohibition era, and with the recently legalization of Absinthe, and a local distillery, Integrity Spirits, making beautiful artisanal bottles called Trillium.
www.integrityspirits.com

The drink I imbibed was titled: The Corpse Reviver #2.
This drink is direct from the 1800's and was suggested to be a fantastic hangover remedy. So I could have one for breakfast?
here are the indredients for the yummy cocktail:
Aviation Gin
Lillet
Lemon juice
Trillium Absinthe

I suggest you seduce all your friends to dressed up, and either head to this bar, or make your own prohibition party and celebrate our freedom to drink!

I just got off the phone with the sweet manager of the Ballroom and Lounge, she told me it was her birthday yesterday and they also celebrated there.

Sean R. MgGrath is a local comedy writer, actor, and all around wise guy...can't you tell?

blood orangeses, or "if it feels good..."

summer begins in my mouth

we woke up early (for us, which was around 10:30) on a sunny saturday and rode out bikes to Pastaworks to pick up things for an afternoon picnic.
dolmas, feta, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, pickled onions(we made by marinating the onions in red wine vinegar for about an hour)
then our friends Nathan (who plays violin in many local bands: The Maybe Happening, Nick Jaina, and others), and his lovely lovely lady Ingrid who works at the Portland Art museum and loves to play cribbage, invited us over for a BBQ.

we attached the spread of yummy food onto my bike basket and we rode the 20 blocks to their house in SE.
we all drank rose' and white wine out of mugs and Nathan grilled corn until he burned a little hole in the front deck....
the wine made Matt and I sleepy so we went upstairs and took an hour long nap in Ingrid and Nathan's bed, until we were awoken by the claps of thunder and a downpour.
this is portland in May afterall....

lovely ladies surprise with lunch

my friends Erin(not pictured), Annie, and Jeevan showed up at my apartment on this pleasantly warm May afternoon for lunch and fresh baked scones.
homemade scones with fresh apricot preserves. the scone recipe came from wholefoods. the dishes are from the goodwill, the one on the left is handpainted!
Annie and I somehow totally matched without planning it. grey sweatshirt, white dress, charcoal tights, and brown boots. wow.

Cannon Beach

we were invited to a weekend at the beach. this is the view from the house. yes, there is haystack rock, made infamous in the cult movie "Goonies"
while a few of us planned and prepared dinner, the rest of the group watched Planet Earth on the tv. here they are watching me for a moment for the picture.

we made sauteed radishes in butter and salt, and lasagne, and one girl made the most delicious tequila shrimp. we had all the ingredients together for the lasagne, zucchini, ricotta, loads of mozzarella cheese and a slow cooked red sauce. the oven was hot, and then it was not.

we decided to improvise and heated up the grill. it worked! we covered the lasagne with tinfoil and put the glass pan on the top shelf of the grill.


here are the shrimp marinating in lime and tequila!

Korean In NYC

I arrived in Nyc on April 6th. The red eye flight, the early morning cab ride argued with my stomach. A small nap, and then off to a trunkshow at a boutique called Kaight in the lower east side. i sold a fair amount of clothes, and that made the long long day seem a bit better. 

My hostess in Greenpoint is a lovely woman named Eileen who also runs an eco-showroom called Origin 23. 

we met only briefly in LA a few weeks before and she was so gracious to put me up, bring me tea when I was not well, and introduce me to her favorite haunts. 

one of these places was a Korean spa in the shadow of the Empire State Building. 

At 10:30 pm we met her friend Isa at a little market where we bought tall jugs of tea, and then descended into the basement of a tall tall building and into a tiled room where there was a small asian man who took our $30. 

we spent 3 hours scrubbing ourselves, steaming, sauna-ing, and lazily talking about our lives. 

after all of this, we were starving, and they took me to a cheap and delicious 24 hour spot called Dou Wip or Wha Doop or something...the food was more memorable than the name....

Bands eat.

from left: Steve, Emily, Bob, Bobby. 

My band, Love Menu (also the title of this blog), was in Olympia recording our first album. 

These are the things we ate. 

How we get through the day

Tradeshows can be long, boring and fruitless. I was working at my booth in the Cooper building during LA market, trying to sell my clothing line. but it was very slow in the Eco showroom we were in. I made friends with Mark, who co-designs an incredible collection out of San Fran called Turk and Taylor.

He was the best part of the week. and every morning he brought homemade bloody marys. yum! at the end he said: "making a new friend is better than writing 20 orders". well, yes to the heart in that.

After, Gretchen and I ate at a hipster Silverlake vietnamese place on sunset blvd. i have eated there a few times, and this time, we sat next to a guy that Gretchen went to college with in Colorado. small world.

Yum! Ginger!

Sushi in LA

After the night before cooking for many people, we decided to get sushi at a place in Silverlake that one of our friends recommended. unfortunately when we arrived they were done seating, so we got takeout.
every bite was so delicious and fresh!
another night of eating at the house on Portia st!

Sushi Love

A last minute party. 

Matia and I called people on Friday night and by Saturday we had 10 friends ready to eat lots of sushi. 

Pearl unfiltered Sake from a local producer, yummm. raw fish the color of smiling gums. 

 

LA, the standard, and old friends

My friend Gretchen and I were staying in LA for the Fall fashion tradeshows. One night of our stay was sponsored by a showroom we sometimes work for. they paid for us to stay at the chic Standard hotel. this picture is Gretchen standing over the HUGE bathtub.

i tried to convince the concierge to give us the best room and he told us to go to the 7th floor. we walk into the room, and there is a man in his underwear on the phone! Oops!
we laugh and turn around as the concierge comes running up to us. he made a mistake. and he has our real room.
won't we come with him.
he takes us to the top floor. when we open the door we see this incredible bathroom, and she and I wish we were lovers just for the utter romantic possibilites in this place.

after a shower and change we head to Echo Park, to my good friend Zachary Leener's house.
he lives near an asian market where we somehow buy enough groceries for a 6 person dinner party for $20.
we decide to make Pad Thai and we we starving! My friend Nicholas, who i have known since highschool, and then again at art school at MICA in Baltimore now lives in LA with his wife Melody, who was my college roommate. they joined us for dinner.

Everytime i go to LA, i find myself cooking something delicious in this big kitchen in a large 1910's house. It has made my experience of the city that has so many labels, one of comfort and friendship and good food.

Breitenbush hot springs late night meal

At Breitenbush Hot Springs, about 1.5 hours east of Salem, they serve organic vegetarian food in the dining hall daily. 3 meals. there is a bell that rings at 8am, noon, and 6pm. that is when you eat.
all you really do while there is eat, sleep, and soak in the healing hot springs.
this was the 1st time I ever went as an adult and stayed in a cabin. it was pretty romantic.
at the end of the last night we were there, after hours of soaking, eating dinner, napping, making out a little, we were hungry again.

and we ate cheese and sausage and drank some wine. it was great. it felt so decadent.

Brunch at Navarre

go there and eat.
Navarre. 28th and NE Burnside. they also have a fixed price dinner which it totally reasonable.
YUM!!

make up

I bought this beautiful and tasty organic tomato at the Alberta st. CO-OP. 

It was in the half off bin because of a tiny bit of bruising, the heart-shape tugged at the sentimentalist in me, and I wanted to make a sandwich with a little extra love. 

Jeevan and her Birthdays

Jeevan is one of my sweetest dearest friends. She sings and plays the Fender Rhodes in my band, Love Menu, and also has her own musical project:

www.myspace.com/jeevansingh

One day many years ago we met in my car after a dinner party. we were listening to a mix tape i had made for my boyfriend at the time. I recorded a cover of "One too many Mornings" by bob dylan, and she asked me who it was singing. I told her it was me, and we decided at that moment to play music together.
Neither of us had ever played with anyone else before, unlike the boys and men we knew, who didn't bear their shyness like a heavy blanket.

Jeevan used to come over to my loft and we would drink tea and sing Leonard Cohen songs.
I was at her last 2 birthdays, and both times she had pink cakes.

did you do this on purpose you sweet tasty morsel, you?

Jeevan and I at her birthday last year at Holocene.

The first party was at local club Holocene, and I wore my blue favorite dress that always makes trouble. everytime I have worn it something either lifechanging, unbelieveable, or utterly memorable happens.
i could tell you all the times I wore it, but that is for another day.

These cupcakes are from this year, chocolate with little bits of coconut on them.
the party was at my boyfriend Matt's house. I had my last birthday at the house of a boy Jeevan was dating, and we thought it would be fun to trade....

Dinner in Vegas

For all the hard parts of having your own clothing line, there are so many benefits. 

One of the most important things to me when thinking about what I want to do with my life, is working on something that enables me to travel. Well, this job does that for me for sure, even if I have to sometimes go places that I don't love. 

I recently was in one of those places. Las Vegas. 

I am not a big fan of this place. I don't like to gamble, it intimidates me. 

Everything is hugely expensive. 

The central air infuses me with a sore throat and the florescent lights give me a headache. 

And I am working at the Tradeshows (Pool this time) from 9-7pm, and for some reason, the real swimming pool closes at 7. weird. 

However, this time I was accompanied by 2 of my favorite girl friends, Anna Korte, who is an amazing jewelry designer: www.iheartanna.com

and Gretchen Jones, www.mothlove.com, who is secretly brewing a new clothing line and in the meantime handmakes beautiful feathered headbands and combs.

these ladies made the trip bearable. and also the food at Diego, a mexican place in the MGM Grand, where Tracey and Tyler (who run TCF showroom) took us to the first night. 

This restaurant isn't one of the uber fancy celebrity spots, but the food is comforting and good. After a long day of setting  up the show, it was a relief to eat something hot and tasty. 

They make guacamole from scratch at your table, and the appetizers: fried cheese, and empanadas, were delicious. They also bring 3 different salsas (shown) one mild, medium, and hot. On the side of these there are 3 kinds of tasting salt. One was infused with lime, another with cilantro. This reminded me of salts I got for xmas from a local store called The meadow. 

We ate family style, each tasting the Chicken mole, the braised beef tacos OH YUM! and the Carnitas. 

I will go back there again when I am in Vegas, #1 because it is not crazy expensive, and #2 because I can count on a chill night with great food to boost me up before a week of shows. 

The Columbian and the Beach

If you are ever hungry in Astoria and it is before 2pm, and you are in no hurry, you must eat at The Columbian.
The happiest man alive cooks everything behind a counter where you can watch the process.


because he is the only one cooking, you might have to wait. we did for almost 2 hours.


And then they brought us spicy jellies and toast that made my mouth tingle with excitement. You can buy them by the jar too.


Brisa ordered Salmon hash with Sweet potatoes.


Erin ordered Chorizo scramble.


Matt ordered the Mercy! this is amazing!!! our lovely chef makes a surprise special. this was prawns on top of a pesto filled crepe. it was so rich!
My breakfast wasn't very pretty, but also tasted great. I had the Dungness crab omelette. Everything tasted amazing. We might make the trip to Astoria JUST for the brunch. I suggest you do the same.


Matt and I at Cannon beach

starting the new year right

With full bellies and surrounded by friends.
2008 rang like a new bell. a very different bell. Matt and I arrived at Rontoms early to see our friends performing with Nick Jaina sing us some songs into the wee hours. champange toast. Then dancing at Holocene. then he drove us home. I took a bath, and he heated up left over calzone which we ate, in my bed, at 4 am. i don't have any pictures of that, the moment was too sweet.
Someone during the night whispered about Brunch at the Blondes house. the Blondes are three amazing women I have become friends with in the last 6 months. I think we rolled out of bed at 2:30pm and arrived in time for sweet and savory smells to arrest our tired and hungover selves.

the spread! yum. I made 2 giant dishes of German pancake, with pear and cardamon sauce.



Jessica M made individual fritattas for everyone. they were delicious.

we drank amazing bloody mary's and we even had to run to the store to get more mix for seconds...

we stayed until 6:30, and then Matt and I drove to the beach....

Sale and Salt

On a chilly night in December, my friends Tracey and Tyler invited me to dinner at their lovely house/showroom on the skirt of Hoyt Arboretum. Tyler is pretty famous among their sales clients for walking into the showroom (true collaborative fashion) with warm homemade cookies and tea. On this night, the oven was broken. Stuck on self clean for a few too many hours. So he had to think fast and improvise.
I wanted to invite my new beau, Matt, but he was at a dance performance, watching his sister. However, because of the oven malfunction, he was able to come and join us.



Also in attendance was Elizabeth, who is a writer, and Sally, who own co-owns the boutique Pin Me Apparel.


Carnitas, homemade guacamole, homemade salsa, cotija cheese, and spicy beans.


OOps, i was going to take a picture of the flourless chocolate cake before I ate into it, but I couldn't help my
I am travelling to Las Vegas with Tracey and Tyler as a sales rep in February to POOL Tradeshow. There is an eco show that we attend called: S(eco)nd. I will also show the Fall 2008 collection of my clothing line. Hopefully Tyler will cook for us then too....

Recipe for a perfect holiday

preheat house, turn on some music, cross another day off the calender. it is december 24th, 2007.

Begin with your mother, who you haven't seen in 2 years. Then add her two youngest daughters, who are also your half sisters you have only seen 5 times in their short lives.
Throw in your dad, stepmom, sister who is visiting from FIDM in San Francisco.
select a few choice friends, and at the end your 18 year old brother who already ate.
Stir everybody together with pear brandy champagne cocktails, 5 lbs of maple glazed salmon, salad with edible flowers, and let sit for a few hours.

Sprinkle conversation, laughter, jokes, and best behaviour to taste.




My sister Eleena with her Pear Brandy cocktail. we put edible flowers in them too, and used local Clear Creek Distillery Pear Brandy.



my friend Mo and my youngest sister Kellan.

Brunch with the ladies

It was the day before my birthday, and I celebrated by inviting my lovely lady friends to brunch. i woke up in the morning on this chilly saturday, my new love in my bed. We watched the snow flakes tease the ground from under my rabbit fur blanket. I dropped him off, and headed over to the Screen Door to meet up with my girls.
matia and I, friends for over 10 years.


I switched it up, and ordered the blue crab benedict! it was incredible.


Tiffany ordered the bananas foster waffle.


My fried Jeevan, who I wrote about taking to the screen door before, had all 8 of us do a little project. we all wrote letters to our future selves, dated 6 months from the day we wrote them. here is Jessica(a lovely laywer turned chef, and Tiffany writing their letter to themselves)
Jeevan took them from us and will send them all out at the beginning of June.
I didn't know what to write. i was just too happy sitting with so many beautiful women who inspire me and who were all out to celebrate me.

Brisa in her fantastic suit with the most beautiful Chicken and Waffles in town!
Later that night I threw a huge dance party and we shook off all that yummy rich food....unfortunately, everyone was having so much fun, no photos were taken...

Birthday Rituals

My memories from my childhood are sometimes spotty at best, but I remember very vividly tastes and smells like a ceremony.
Every year until I was nine, my mom baked Spanikopita for my birthday. And even after she moved to the east coast, occasionally, around the beginning of December, a large box would come in the mail full of the savory homemade spinach delicacies.


For the past few years, I decided to carry on the tradition by making it for myself. I bought the feta and filo from a lovely European market on 17th and Hawthorne. The man who works the counter calls me "pretty lady", and when I told him it was my birthday, he reached his large hand across the counter and handed me a chocolate Kinder Suprise egg.
He shared a story of how women in his country(Bosnia) must learn to make the fine sheets of filo from scratch before they are eligible to marry. I tell him I am grateful for his little shop so I don't have to do that part.

My Mom's Spanikopita:

2packs of frozen organic spinach
at least!! one pound of feta
jar of pesto
stick of salted organic butter
cup of extra virgin olive oil
box of filo

you will also need a pastry brush to paint the oil onto the filo sheets.
follow the instructions on the filo box about letting it get to room temp so it doesn't split!

heat the oven to 350. put the spinach in a pot and cook it up!
when it is thawed, put it in a large bowl, and place a smaller bowl on top and drain as much water as possible.
(this method was cooked up by Matt, the lovely man who helped me make this meal this year)
then, mix the pesto, feta, and spinach all together.

melt the butter and pour the olive oil into it.

make little piles of spinach mixture on a sheet of dough, and paint all around it with butter mixture.
then do some folding, making sure all the time that the dough is thoroughly covered in butter.
make a bunch! until everything is gone!

paint the top of them with butter mix, then put em in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Matt and I decided to step outside on my balcony and take a few deep breaths of cold crisp night air, so when we opened the door back inside out noses were arrested by the intoxicating scent of Spanikopita happily baking...

I highly suggest this last part. I also highly suggest eating these with your hands, and eating them with people you love, the smiles are amazing.

memories of summer

This summer I had the opportunity to go fishing with my friend Scott. He is a local musician who plays drums and clarinet in Loch Lomond and Nick Jaina. He is talking about writing a column for a local paper about fishing with Portland's movers and shakers. A fashion designer on a lake! yes! On this particular day, we drove up to Trillium Lake on Mount Hood, late in the morning, after buying sandwiches, beer, and a bar of toblerone chocolate...


The mountain loomed large behind the clouds, you could feel that it was there, even though the snowy peak was hidden from view. We cast our lines over and over again, talked about falling in and out of love, drank some beers, and watched the eagles dive bombing the icy waters..


After about 3 chilly hours without any bites, we turn the little blowup boat around and Scott rows us back to shore. When we get to the bank, a large truck is pulling up to the water. It is full of tiny fish. I guess we will just have to wait for them to grow up so we can catch them!!


Scott fell asleep on the drive home, but I caught this amazing sunset.


Even though we didn't catch any fish, we decided to cook something from the waters. We made delicious mussels and ate them all up.

for the love of a Clyde

I spoke at a panel of Fashion Designers and Creative entreprenuers during fashion week in October, and didn't get a chance to eat anything beforehand. So afterwards, my friend and past sales rep, Tracey Forrest of True Collaborative Fashion Showroom and her husband and business partner, Tyler, and I went to get some warm comfort food at Clyde Commons.

I had never been there before, but i had heard many many things, all of them good.
We walk in and sit down and my nose is greeted by delicious smells, and my eyes are met by the lovely diners.

I don't remember the name of what I ordered, but it satisfied all of my hungers. Toast, and spinach, and hard cheese and poached eggs. perfect hangover food.

shortly after sitting down, and before ordering, I noticed a group of people in the back table that looked familiar. They turned out to be the entourage of Stewart and Brown, a fantastic couple from Southern California that are pioneers in the organic fashion movement. I had met them during fashion week, and fell a little bit in love with them all. I am very grateful for the inspiration that people can unknowingly bring into your life, just by being kind and passionate...

one of the girls in the party, her name is Paris, she ordered this delicious item, and i couldn't help myself, I practically drooled on her plate, it looked so good.

I also ran into Patricia No, who is a fellow blogger : nopatricia.blogspot.com and fantastic fashion maven.

It was pretty much the perfect afternoon.

yum.

Breakfast before Seattle

A few weekends ago, I drove to Seattle for a fashion tradeshow, selling my sustainable clothing line called Emily Katz. (my name too)
I called my friend Jeevan to see what she was up to for the weekend and to tell her a few things that I was thinking about. She said
"come on over here before your drive, and I will make you breakfast!"
So I drove on over, with my little jetta wagon packed snug, and sat on her lovely porch in the late morning sun.

The coffee was from Tiny's in a thermos, but the plums were picked by our friend Seth, and the rest was warm and filling, and so was the talking, that i was definitely late getting on the road. But it was worth it.

Music and Wine Country

It was a grey Sunday in August, I woke up very early, which for me is 9am, and walked over to my friend Bobby's house. He is in a band called "Lusty Leaf" and we were playing an uncommonly early show. Who goes to see music at noon on a Sunday? I usually don't. I set my instruments down in his living room and we headed down Alberta to get coffee and yummy muffins at Random Order. Our friend Kaylee was also playing the show, she in fact had organized it all. And she is responsible for the muffins. She is a little bundle of smiles and her songs (which she sings under the moniker: Talk here, and sometimes : Talk here asshole) are so cute you want to stuff your cheeks with them. Well, anyway she was going to drive us to Music Millennium in NW. That is where the show was. At noon. On a Sunday.
We get there and they made such cute signs for us, so it was hard to feel tired, grumpy, or hungover.

The crowd of maybe 10 or so were unconventionally attentive, and a few random shoppers stopped flicking through jeweled cd cases and watched, and listened, and maybe they were touched somewhere.
After I played, a girl who was there to see Talk Here, came up to me, Her cheeks were smeared with mascara. She told me my songs were beautiful, and I thanked her. And then I thought to myself, this is the only time when I feel really really good about making someone cry.



The next part of the day felt like a dream. My friend Sean had invited me and a guy I was seeing out to wine country. Sean's friend Mitch had rented a limo for the day and a group was headed out to the rolling hills West of Portland for a day of wine and relaxing. My Beau and I broke up the night before, which made my tiredness and desire to head out of the city more pronounced.

So, I am standing outside of Music Millennium with my instruments and my friend Nick (who I have known since the 2nde grade in Waldorf School) calls me, and then I see him drive by.

Sorry I missed the show, he said.
Come to wine country! i replied.

All in all the day was seized. Nick came along. We all got drunk at 4pm. I bought my first bottle of wine that cost $28. a 2004 pinot noir. oh man. i wanted to save it, but then we realized we had a wine opener in the limo so I thought: when is the next time I will drink AMAZING wine in a limo? or be in a limo for that matter? The bottle was from a new and very beautiful winery called Le Nez. The building stood alone on the top of a hill overlooking miles of rolling green and yellow pastures. After our 4th tasting we all spread out in the perfectly manicured grass and watched tiny grasshoppers dance on our heavy limbs. I did a few cartwheels until one of the women who worked there expressed concern for the greenery.
I don't regret it.


Nick and Sean strike a pose on the deck overlooking the vineyard.

Returning to Portland was easy, Mitch cooked everyone dinner, Sean and I played a new duet on our guitars, and then we headed to the end of PDX POP NOW to see some bands I had never heard. It was a very long and fulfilling day, and any grumpiness from the night before was completely washed away by floods of songs and wine and friends.

she feeds me right.

I have many fabulous friends who feed me well, and Erin is one of them. Cocktail parties, amazing brunch, fresh fruit and kefir with flax oil, are among the things she has brought into my life....
In a few weeks, she is moving to New York and then Paris.

I will miss her.

Jessica's birthday soiree

well, i didn't get the black dress memo, but Tessa, in all her glory, came through and dressed me up in her grandmother's finery.
the dinner was for Jessica, who is a chef, and the ladies sweated the whole day in the kitchen to feed us full.
after eating, Ritchie from Loch Lomond, Sean from Invisible Rockets, and little ole me, played acoustic sets on the balcony, ending finally in sing alongs, and giggles.


zucchini stuffed with chevre and pesto, inspired by the chefs at Simpatica.
oh man, it was amazing.

Summer Feast

My favorite thing about summer, besides swimming in rivers and soaking up sun, is feasting with friends. My dear friend Natalie, whom I have known since high school, is an amazing woman who knows how to throw a fantastic potluck.
The theme was summer edibles, and so my contribution was fried squash blossoms stufffed with chevre and fresh figs.


here they are frying in the pan.


Some ladies transplanted from Kansas brought a delicious torte with marscapone and grilled apricots.


Erin made caprese on a stick!


Here is Natalie getting ready to put her yummy eggplant dish in the oven.


The spread was bountiful, and we stuffed ourselves silly.
Music was played, we all found ourselves stretched out in the grass. It was the perfect way to end a beautiful summer night.

Saburo's

It was another lovely summer day: warm enough for white wine outside, cool enough for an arm swept around you, and hungry enough for the biggest sushi in town.
Gathering together friends, we met at 6:30pm at Saburo's in Sellwood, put our name on the list, and passed the time with a bottle of wine down the street. We were all sitting at a table outside, when we heard a little commotion. There was a momma duck and her 4 little tiny baby ducklings keeping close by her side. The patrons of nearby restaurants all stopped eating to try and funnel them down the sidewalk and not into the street.
The little birds scuttled through the mob outside of Saburo's, and hopefully into the park down the street. Tried to get a photo, but it was blurry.

The wait was a little long as usual, but with thoughts of the little ducklings, the wine, and the lovely company, the time passed quickly. We weren't seated until an hour later, but the food was more than worth it. The eel was the length of my whole hand! the yellowtail was so buttery and smooth, and the special rolls were so big we couldn't fit the whole thing into our mouths.

a lunch of my own

For the last 7 months i have spent alot of time getting used to being on my own. Before that i lived with the most wonderful man who always made sure i was eating well and being loved well and all of that. Honestly there was a little while at the beginning of the year when i wasn't eating at all, and considering my love and appreciation of food, it was a unnerving. But then spring blossomed, and now I am full into summer, happily relishing in the bounty that life has to offer my belly.

I made this lunch for myself the other day, of artichoke, grilled zucchini, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, and sat on my balcony and listened to the birds singing.

Am Northwest

This morning, bright and early i headed over to KATU channel 2 News. I am participating in a sustainable fashion exhibition opening August 2nd at the Art Institute of Portland, and the show AM Northwest was doing a little teaser fashion show.
Shown on the model is the WOW rain jacket from the Fall 2007 Emily Katz line.
it is made from water-resistant micro fleece surplus fabric. Essentially that means that I am using fabric from large companies that would normally end up in a landfill.
stylish and sustainable.


i talked with a few other designers backstage beforehand, and snuck in during the live show to snap these shots.

secret spring 2008 preview

In addition to loving feasts and friends, I also spend lots of my time making art and designing a sustainable women's clothing line, called Emily Katz. that is me.

this picture is a scan of a new Spring tank top. Silk jersey handpainted with fabric dye.
I used vintage crocheted lace as the stencil.

the rest of my Spring line will be available for boutiques to order from in the next months.
more to come...

New Favorite

In the last 7 months I have gone out to a lot of breakfasts, all across the board, from your simple 2 eggs over medium with crisy bacon and toast, to grand fritattas. But I don't know if I will ever want to eat anything else again after discovering this: my new favorite: eggs Sardou.
this is what it is:
english muffin open, topped with sauteed spinach, WHOLE artichoke hearts, poached eggs, and hollandaise. a few giganticly beautiful slivers of potato nestled next to this beautiful dish. oh man. yum.

I went out with my dearest friend Jeevan, and the conversation was wonderful, between orgasmic moans over the food.

You will find me (and the most amazing chicken and waffles too!) at the Screendoor on 24th and E Burnside, for weekend brunch, with a big smile on my face.

Pancake, autoharp, violin, drums

What a night it was. The first thursday of July spread it's little art walk limbs into the streets, and they beckoned me out.

I set up a booth on 13th and Johnson, where they close off the street and artists and local apparel and jewelry designers set up and sell their wares.
The weather was a little blustery for July, my rack of clothing fell over more than once, smashing hangers and flinging little white embroidered dresses onto the dirty street, but no one was hurt, and I left with some newly earned money in my pocket.

The night progressed into dancing, and lovely people laughing.
I then met up with two dear friends, Scott and Nathan, and we drove back to Scott's house and he made us the most amazing pancake filled with blueberries the size of marbles!

It was the most memorable 3am pancake night i have ever had.

lebanese dinner and new friends

This summer dropped many new things into my little lap. The best of them many new experiences and so many new and absolutely beautiful friends. A love interest brought me into this group of 10 women, all working in their own way on following their dreams, hearts, and bellies.

the love interest now a bit out of the picture, i was happily surprised when one of the ladies invited me to a summer soiree on their balcony in se Portland.
the day was beautifully lazy. sunbathing at the river, reading Pablo Neruda out loud on the beach, and then rushing back to town to change into a dress, have a quick cocktail with a friend, and then off to the party.
I was a litte nervous at first. the boy I liked, well, his ex girlfriend was going to be there. but when i walked into the cozy kitchen, everyone drinking Pastis, and smiling, i felt immediately comfortable.



The Dinner was happening because the ladies of the house were hosting a fantastic nomad artist couple. the husband is Lebanese, and the wife from the Czech Republic.
we feasted on homemade Labneh, flat bread with Zatar, and drank wine until we were all silly and they all asked me to play my autoharp.

you can hear me here:
www.myspace.com/lovemenubyemilykatz

We lounged on the balcony until 1am, in the still 100 degree heat of summer. I felt taken care of by the world, surrounded by new friends, stuffed!! full of amazing food, a little drunk, and completely where I wanted to be.

Alma

This past spring I was getting antsy. My job wasn't making me feel inspired, and i wanted to try something new. I played around with the idea of making fresh cheese, and contacted local goat farmers. One woman returned my call and said "where will you stay when you intern here?"

I said, "In portland, I am not going to move! "
she replied: "I wake up before the sun to milk these goats, are you going to drive 2 hours every morning?"
Oh. right. this is not the thing for me right now.

Then into my inbox comes a bit of press about a local chocolatier. Immediately I knew what I wanted to do.
I contacted Sarah Hart at Alma Chocolates about interning with her.

Sarah is a wonderful woman who agreed to meet me for coffee to talk about my intentions:

Am I planning on learning her secrets and then opening my own shop down the street from her?

No.

I felt an immediate connection and I couldn't wait for my first day.

Nourishing Traditions

I don't remember cooking as a child, but while sifting through old tins of photos, I have come across many of me in the kitchen.
In them, my mother wears a calico apron, and instructs me on proper mixing of cookie dough. I stand on a chair, my smile as wide as a dinner plate.

Unlike many lovers of food that I know, I do not have a flour covered cookbook from my mother, or notecards written prudently in a flowing cursive from a distant and long gone, but well remembered relative. But I do have memories of special birthday meals of spanikopita, cakes in the shape of rainbows and unicorns, and those photos of my mother and I.
And though these moments remain stirred into my memories, I felt an inner nostagia for a true gastronomic history. For new reasons for celebration. New traditions.

So in the last two years I decided to start from scratch.

This blog is about my love of food, friendship, and joie de vivre.