Portland Anticipation... Already went! Memorial Day Weekend Jaunts

Ash is having technical difficulties sending me pics from this trip. So I've got food to log backed up. We will post anyway due to Mar's withdrawal. Amended: pictures obtained.

Got Spanish Coffee at ...? Can't remember. There's this whole show associated with it where the waiter put lime juice and sugar on the rim, then TONS of alcohol (think - Bacardi 151) and lit it on fire! Result - still very alcoholic drink but yummy caramelized melted sugar on the rim with a little lime flavor. Licking glass not optional.


Start with these ingredients


Add fire and coffee


Yummy lunch! See the pate? I know I'm old now because I think it's delicious.

Went to the Rose festival and ate a bunch of random fair food - yum!/ack! Ack just for diet's sake.

I mean "diet."


SnoCone + Apple vodka/sprite from beer tent = I don't remember what the red is.

Rose festival = Portland is the city of roses or something. Not rose gardens like we thought. (or maybe just I thought).

Voodoo donuts. 1 of my 3 goals in visiting Portland - 2 and 3 were Powell's and Food trucks.

The cereal ones intrigue me, but I feel obligated to get the voodoo doll one...


When you walk in the door there are these.... and a billion signs saying no pics of the back. But didn't see until after it was taken.


Display case - and these are just the vegan kind, folks! Or is it gluten free? I am 95% sure it's vegan.

Voodoo booty:

Captain Crunch Voodoo Doll!! Filled with jelly and a pretzel stick for stabbing. I left this at R's.


Blueberry cake mmm Bacon maple bar

Powell's was huge, but I think it's difficult to navigate when influenced by sno cones.

Food trucks were meh. We got gluten free corn dogs and something else. Didn't take pictures, but yummy!

Of course, had to try coffee:

I lied, it was a soy chai. But it was yummy!

I question the source of this article

Alleged article on why people are addicted to cheese.

I actually only skimmed it. Judgement already made, unless you will read it to me.

Denver/Boulder - We'll say Louisville

Pre-trip: hit up Pie for some English Meat. They also had salmon, egg, dill and cheese. Key-lime minis and spicy mexican chocolate. mmmmmmmmmm.


zoom in English Meat!


Went over to Louisville, CO to visit the Oxfrauds (and BeBop!) with the don't-do-physics-anymore crew.

Every morning was a struggle to sleep in. Made it to 9am on Saturday I think. The struggle was purely against age. But there was always a fresh carafe of coffee. I call it J-roast, because they roast their own coffee beans. There was also J-brew, but I didn't take a picture of the beer bottle.


Oh, the rapture... roast.

Day 1: Hiking to Royal Arch + food at restaurants I don't remember the name to in Boulder. Soba noodle salad at a bar is a bad idea. Even if it's the special. shut up. Then Denver Roller Dolls! Had beer and pretzel with "cheese" sauce. Maybe needs a z. Also, the world's most dangerous playground for inebriated adults who've not yet adjusted to the altitude change.

Oh! But brunch restaurant had a Jerky Outlet!! Apparently, if you deep fry peanuts, it's okay to eat the shells. I've heard that some people do that regardless of the frying... skeptical.

Jalapeno beef sausage links, cajun deep fried peanuts, cherry maple turkey jerky.

Day 2: Walking around Denver and got some shopping booty!
Savory Spice Shop- Rubs and something interesting called black onyx cocoa. Dark chocolate flavor without the fatty.

The dark chocolate is not to be used as a replacement in recipes one-to-one. Just adds to the mysterious magic of it all!

Co-worker kept talking about this childhood candy-tablet you dropped into water and it turns into soda. We kept telling her it was alka-seltzer. But then this candy shop had it! And something....different.

Lemonade fizzies (root beer not pictured). Shop guy said the bacon tabs were "accurate."

They also had maltesers, so I got all excited because I thought they would have dark chocolate. -tesers. That's okay, I probably would have bought out the whole store. (ship half to Gaw).

Also, books. But this is a food blog. Standards, people.

Root Down Restaurant, Denver

The fruit with the gnocchi was weird. This place was all about sweet stuff. Then again, the drinks names were pearracuda and ginger (ale) mule.

Red beet gnocchi with squash, iberico, and blueberries. Lamb burgers with yam fries.


Zoom in Lamb-burger! Trying to get you to see the yummy herbs.

For dessert, banana "creme brulee" pie.

They say there was rum, but I didn't taste any. Might have been influenced by the ginger mule prior.

Favorites I've not yet paid homage to:

Haven't had the guts to go back since I lost my magical ability to eat a ****-ton. Also, think I gain 10 lbs every visit. Salty's brunch.

Standard plate 1 of 3 set up. Also, with bloody mary bar!

8407 Kitchen bar in S.S. (only while IBJew worked there).

Mom's first try of gnocchi.


The only time Dad used a sauce and continued to use it. (think spicy +lime)

Cinnamon rolls and bread = ourbestbites.com
AND THE INFAMOUS PIE IN A JAR!!!!
I have no pictures, so I'll just caption the text. Which doesn't make sense, I know.

Speaking of pie-

Dear Pie,

How much do I miss you? Let me count the ways:


huevos rancheros, banana cream with chocolate chip, english meat, chicken pot pie, roasted beets with goat cheese, swedish meatball with lingon berry....

NATTO/SHABU CELEBRATION

I ate natto for dinner and again for lunch today, and then tonight furniture advisor is hosting a shabu-shabu/natto party! AHHHH so excited!!

Natto spaghetti sounds so good~!


4 kinds of natto, 4 different ways. (tossed with spaghetti, without sauce, with sauce, with sauce and maguro!)

Also, I always knew that sushi knives were good, but until I used one last night I don't think I fully appreciated the magical cutting powers they possess. EASIER than buttuh.


Shabu shabu! (Grated daikon, ponzu, green onion, fish ball, shimp ball, beef, pork, tofu, udon, clear noodles, mochi, dumplings, fish, cabbage, enoki, sake, and wine).

There was also home made green tea ice cream and edamame! Natto and shabu go sooo well together. Yes, mix the food together. I've never done hot pot fully Japanese style so it was interesting how the flavors all mixed together.

If I were at a bar, I would attract a bear.

Work bbq today. So I smell like bbq (hence, bear).

Chicken/portabello sausages (mixed IN the sausage!)
Lipton french onion/ worcestiresare sauce burger
Colby jack cheese
Spicy pickled cauliflower - yummy in the burger!
Home made horseradish mustard!
Watermelon -it's in season - go buy some. eat now.
Hot Dogs
Corn/bell pepper salad with dill and champagne dressing
Red Velvet Cake
Brownie bites
Cookies
Home made wild blueberry cheesecake

In other news, service was TERRIBLE at Cinebarre last night. Didn't get food, didn't get beer - until I had to ask for it twice. Surprised tone noted both times I inquired about why the beer would take longer if the kitchen was backed up. They still made us pay for the beer when it finally came about 10 min before they started handing out checks.

ya. disappointed.

want eat here

specifically, veggie burger.

http://thesparrowtavern.com/

OMG CORN ON THE COB!!!!

stupid DDD. why do you taunt me with your far away places?

Work Snack Days - the usual suspects

Veggies and dip, cheese - cheddar/Gruyere melange from TJ's, fresh baked bread (or sometimes crackers), fruit, and spread (this time - home made honey butter).

Not so usual suspects-

Sweets - chewy brownie cookies mmmm Safeway. Ok, I guess we always do have something sweet on snack day.




Cafeteria made cheeseburger mac soup! potatoes and tomatoes and yum...

yes, I added hot sauce.

My coworker was raving about this and I was thinking -what the heck is the big deal? SO YUMMY.

what you can do with moderately lazy

Pizza dough but too lazy to buy pizza sauce instead of marinara? Calzone.

trader joe's prewashed southern greens bag
shredded mozarella
home made pizza dough (see reasons why I shouldn't bake pizza when scatter brained)
marinara sauce
chicken
whiskey (shut up, it's delicious cooked with meat)
all purpose seasoning (salt free, but B - you go ahead and salt that shit up)

Roll out dough, slather some marinara and THIN layer of mozzarella. Don't roll it out too thin. Otherwise you get the gushy open sore looking thing that was attempt 2 for future lunches.

Cooked up the greens separately - we'll call it al dente. I like crisp greens in general, and I don't want to have to worry about them turning bitter as they possibly continue to cook in the oven. Used some lemon juice to help steam and cook veggies.

dump veggies on dough.

Chicken + all purpose seasoning. After flip add just a little whiskey to help steam it.

Dump. roll up, bake 350 until prodding it enough convinces you the dough is cooked (20 min? I didn't really pay attention).

Round 1- made extra effort to roll and pinch up sides the traditional calzone style. Result? bueno.

Round 2- a couple of hours later and much lazier... I tried to wrap it like an envelope and pinch it in the middle at the top. Mostly because as I was dumping things on top I just carelessly dumped it in the middle instead of to the side. I'm sure it'll taste exactly the same, it's just ugly.

Next - fresh herbs going bad, carton of egg whites that's been opened and not used in a while, and a lonely vine tomato. OMELET - caprese! Remember mozzarella? well there's always left overs.

I've learned (and re-learned through the years) the key to omelets is low temp, patience, and a good nose (to smell when it's time to check in on eggs). Or you can scramble. omelet is easier to reheat and keep flavor I think.

while side 1 of omelet is cooking, throw in some fresh cracked pepper.

no cook basil or tomato. just throw in long enough for cheese to melt when you flip the egg white. I don't completely flip it. just fold the uncooked part halfway over the other uncooked part.

makes 2 breakfasts of yum- but only if you plan to reheat. If you're eating right away then it's back to being patient and walking away. I usually don't have the patience for that step though.

no pics. lazy, remember?