Giovanna's Trifles

In Victoria

2013-05-17T11:00:00.001-07:00

I'm in Victoria. Pavel had a conference to attend at the Empress, so I tagged along for an escape. An escape from what, you may ask. Wouldn't it be nicer if you asked escape to what? To that I'd say an escape to some time with Pavel, to a bit of luxury, to some walks along the harbor, and maybe to find Cadbury Shortcake Snacks (last seen by me in Victoria, about 15 years ago). But you asked

Distribution of Wealth and Chocolate Chips

2012-11-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Or, a Wonky Look at Toll House Cookies What could be more American than a chocolate chip cookie? Buttery cookies studded generously with chocolate chips. Who doesn’t love them? Recently I read ‘Why Let the Rich Hoard All the Toys’, a Nicholas Kristof column in the New York Times. The column was about the distribution of wealth in our country. About the fact that the top 1% of Americans

A is for Anise

2012-06-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve always loved anise flavor, in any guise. Many of my early taste memories revolve around anise. As a little kid back when it was fun to be a little kid, I had plenty of freedom to explore my world by myself. Remember those days when you had free reign of the block until you heard your mother yell up and down the street that dinner was ready? Fennel by visualdensity on Flickr All that

Slumps

2012-06-04T12:40:00.001-07:00

“I’ve been in a bit of a slump,” I said this morning to Franny. By that I meant mainly with this blog. I have been writing other things (at this point for myself), reading, and starting my garden. But this blog has been sadly ignored. Two things happened when I said that. Franny ran upstairs, and I remembered a picture I’d taken when I visited my parents last spring. A couple of seconds later

Food Sake Tokyo

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Little kid and drying fish in Ameyoko As soon as I got my ticket to Japan, grand ideas started forming in my head. I’d learn some rudimentary Japanese. I’d memorize words for menu items. I’d read guidebooks and plan itineraries so as not to miss anything. I’d read novels that took place in Ancient Japan and modern-day Tokyo, to steep myself in the culture. Warning: these mushrooms are

My Tastebuds Study Japanese

2011-11-18T15:35:00.001-08:00

I’ve traveled a certain amount over the years, but going to Japan was something new. In the past, I’ve always been able to at least read a menu. When Pavel took this picture of a menu a man at the next table laughed. “It’s upside-down” he said, and then immediately added, “I’m sorry.” That interchange summed up much of our trip—shocking cluelessness (that would be us), and people

People Watching in Tokyo

2011-10-19T02:43:00.000-07:00

Couple picnicking behind the Sensō-ji Temple in Asakusa For the last 11 years Pavel has been traveling to Japan at least once a year. And this is the first time I’ve ever tagged along. What was I waiting for? Before I arrived I thought that the sheer mass of people here would be hard to take. There are apparently about 35 million people in the metropolitan area. I’ve never been

I Like Cake

2011-09-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake. Last week started off poorly. Nothing particularly awful, but nothing quite right either. When my cell phone deleted all my contacts, I began to think some cake would be nice. Times like this I always remember a Kim Severson tweet from nearly 2 years ago: “Great advice from a 77-year-old Alabama cook: When you're feeling down just get in the kitchen and bake someone a

Chez Panisse is 40

2011-09-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have a funny connection to Chez Panisse. Many of the people who came to celebrate the 40th worked there for years, cooking or waiting tables, growing lettuce or berries, baking bread, washing dishes. I actually did work in the Chez Panisse kitchen, early on. It was the summer of its 3rd birthday, the summer that Nixon resigned, the summer I was 11 years old. I was more an arranger than

Tomatoes with Green Goddess Dressing

2011-08-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

A Silver Anniversary Celebration Tomatoes with Green Goddess Dressing at Thistle Last week was Pavel and my 25th wedding anniversary. It kind of snuck up on us, so we didn’t have a big party, or go on a trip to Florence. Which might have been fitting, since that’s where we honeymooned. Florence, Oregon, that is. So really it wasn’t that surprising a choice to spend our anniversary

Sardine a la Plancha

2011-07-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Evoe is one of my very favorite places in Portland. Sadly it’s off my beaten path, so I don’t get there as often as I’d like. But this past week a couple of high school friends were visiting, and we went to see the Hat Museum (if you like hats it’s worth a visit). Biggest one in the states. And also conveniently close to Evoe. I recently picked up Jen Stevenson’s new book, 100 Best Places to

One Fried Egg

2011-06-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

It seemed like such a good idea, a way to resume posting more regularly. A weekly feature, the best thing I ate in the preceding week. But here I am, week 1, and I’m finding it’s harder than I expected. Sunday’s impressive dinner at Castagna was only making the decision more difficult, so I won’t count it here. Hey—it’s my game; I can make the rules! (Portland Culinary Alliance

Kitchen Convenience

2011-05-17T12:06:00.001-07:00

The other night I was cooking dinner. Nothing fancy—I hardly ever do that. A pot of water sat on the stove, coming to a boil for pasta, and potatoes were roasting in the oven. I was standing at the sink, looking out the window as I washed the lettuce for salad. And I started thinking. My grandmother would have been 101 a few days ago. She was born in China, where her father worked as a

The Lady in Stripes

2011-04-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

I don’t want to make you jealous, but my parents are pretty wonderful. When I visit them, they always have ideas of places to take me, that they know I’ll enjoy—Spoonbar is the perfect example. Ever since they gave us a copy of Scott Beattie’s book, Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus (a mouthful to avoid after a couple of mouthfuls of your drink here),

Key Lime Pie

2011-04-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Key Limes at Robert is Here fruit stand in Florida CityYesterday I saw (and bought!) a bag of key limes at the grocery store, and today the sun (or what passes for it in Portland this spring) is threatening to shine. It’s reminding me of my trip to Key West. Key lime by Persian limeKey limes are much smaller than the familiar Persian lime we generally see in the grocery store. They also are

Portland’s Bake Sale for Japan

2011-04-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Little Branch’s Banana Cake with Coconut FrostingLast Saturday we threw a bake sale here in Portland. It’s not the sort of thing I usually do, but I have friends and acquaintances affected by the immense disaster, and wanted to help. Last year Samin Nosrat of Berkeley threw a bake sale to help Haiti and raised $23,000. Right after Japan’s quake, she was planning a bake sale for Japan. I got

Bakesale for Japan

2011-03-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

Like many, I found it difficult to imagine how I could help after the earthquake in Japan. And it felt close. My husband travels frequently to Japan on business (he was supposed to fly through Tokyo the day after the quake). He has colleagues there, we have friends there. Then I read Ruth Reichl’s post, ‘Why Food Matters’, written in response to a twitter upset (it was all resolved very

Thirteen Cakes

2011-02-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

With anything else, 13 would be unlucky. Somehow with cakes, 13 makes a party. This year Pavel turned 50. It occurred to me that I should be sure to throw him a nice party. Mainly because he deserves it. But also because precedent has taught me it’s in my best interest. When Pavel turned 40 we had a big dinner party—choucroute garnie for 30—to celebrate. Two years later, he returned the

Dave Frishberg Day in Portland

2011-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Dave Frishberg Day here in Portland. Though I only knew that because it was announced at the Frishberg concert I went to Sunday night, part of the Portland Jazz Festival. I don’t know much about music. But I will tell you that while I was sitting there listening (and watching) I was taken back to sitting in the seminars in Key West last month. How lucky am I? I’ve had the good

Madhur Jaffrey Cooks Breakfast in Key West

2011-01-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

I’ve already been home nearly a week, but denial is hard to shake. It turns out that spending two January weeks in Key West and South Florida is a good thing—especially if you have recently been diagnosed with vitamin-D deficiency. I was lucky enough to be at the Key West Literary Seminar for both weekends of The Hungry Muse: An Exploration of Food in Literature. That meant six days of

At The Hungry Muse

2011-01-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

I’m sitting in my hotel in Key West, trying to think about the first day of the Key West Literary Seminar, The Hungry Muse. My head’s pretty full, which you’ll understand if you read over the first day’s schedule.A few favorites from today's talks: Diana Abu-Jaber: The world hinges on cake.Jonathan Gold, talking about cocktails (and the fact that there are generations that never learned to

Eggnog Link

2010-12-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Photo from Culinate.comHere’s the eggnog link I promised you yesterday…to an eggnog how-to piece, Winter Wonderland in a Bowl, on Culinate's website. Enjoy!

Uly Recipe

2010-12-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Such as it is. When I made these last year, I neglected to write down the recipe or yield. You’ll be happy to know I now have a notebook in my kitchen for just this purpose. I had every intention of making Ůly this year, and I may still. But by the time I do it, and post the recipe, Christmas will probably be past. So I’m going to go ahead and give you the rough directions, and, when I make

Cakes and Reading and Eggnog and Uly Cookies and Adventure

2010-12-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Remember last year, when all my kids were away for Christmas? Well this year they’re all home. Being all together again makes for a house full of fun. Fun and noise and mess and chaos and loud dinners. It also means five adults (or five adultish people, and I count myself as only adultish on many days) living on top of one another in one modest sized house. With one bathroom. I mention the

Election Cake and Nonpartisan Pie

2010-11-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, I voted, I ate pie, and I ate cake. Just doing my part to make a less contentious society. What a citizen! Banana Cream and Apple-Blackberry Pie at Random Order Since I live in Oregon, I had already cast my ballot (it’s all done by mail here). I had a nice bike ride up to Random Order with my daughter, where we shared two pieces of pie. The banana cream, which is ethereal