Roasted pattypan and garlic risotto

I really love my new camera, by the way. It’s almost that time of year where all of my vegetables start cracking and splitting under the spank of too much hard rain, and I’ve been frantically harvesting all of the last of my pattypans and 

Chanterelle pizza with arugula-pumpkin seed pesto and chevre

…or, Wherein I Learn to Use My New Camera So my camera bit the dust. My trusty Nikon Coolpix, which has served me well for the past two years, finally bid adieu to this cruel world. Our waitress at Jules Casual French Bistro accidentally bumped 

Onigiri is filled with Mother Love

I love onigiri. They’re like Japanese arancini. The first time I had it, I was at my friend Kayoko’s house. She was my first exposure to real Japanese culture (hentai notwithstanding), and she would frequently host informal dinner parties for her friends and Portland International 

Grilled squid and kohlrabi salad with lemon-garlic vinaigrette

Man, it’s just been too nice out! How could anyone sit in front of the computer when there’s a vegetable garden to water, or a praying mantis egg sac to check for hatchlings, or white wine hangovers to nurse? Can’t beat Portland in the summer. 

Salmon burgers with sauce gribiche

…or, Perfect Summer Dinner v. 1.0 I have a feeling there will be more of these “perfect summer dinner” posts, what with it only being the first week of it or so, so I thought I’d just preemptively number this and wish it well. So 

Crab soba with maitake and pea shoots

This is from last Monday’s dinner, but I wanted to go ahead and share it since I feel another wave of good cooking juju coming on and I don’t want it to get buried. This was the last of the pea shoots, the last Persian 

Chrysanthemum salad with poached egg and warm bacon vinaigrette

In the spirit of gilding the (voodoo)lily, I thought I’d take the classic Salade Lyonnaise and take it in a different direction. Instead of the traditional frisée, I used crysanthemum leaves, which are slightly less bitter and impart a green, herbal note to balance the 

Linguine with broccoli rabe and pancetta

Hey, time-strapped and uninspired: how ’bout we find another way to tell Rachael Ray to go fuck herself? Fry some chopped pancetta with garlic and shallot until crispy, add chopped broccoli rabe (and what the hell – some swiss chard from the garden) and a 

Orzo with octopus, garbanzos and chayote, with meyer lemon vinaigrette

I bought some chayote. I had always been kinda curious about these weird little fuckers, and finally bit the bullet and just brought some home. I sometimes just buy strange produce and then figure out how to use it after I get it home. I’m 

Lemongrass pork lettuce wraps with grilled pineapple

This is a recipe from a few weeks ago, but I wanted to share it today since I haven’t been cooking much on this stupid finger (contrary to last week’s productivity, the finger really doesn’t like to move and bump shit). My wraps are “fresh!”