Old Bay Grilled Shrimp

Making one’s own Old Bay is a cinch: just mix together mustard seed, celery seed, a little coriander seed, and thyme (powder these up) with paprika, salt, and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice (mine is a combination of cinnamon, clove, star anise, fennel seed, 

Staycation

I was craving a teriyaki Trader Vic's-style thing so I grilled up a Nicky Farms wild boar patty, yakionigiri (grilled rice balls), fresh pineapple and bell peppers. The wild boar is really nice — it's leaner and more flavorful than farm pork. It goes well 

Peking Game Hens

Peking-style @maryschicken game hens, stuffed with garlic and lacquered with maltose, homemade five spice, and soy, then smoked over mesquite, green bamboo, and branches from my peach tree. The little birdies are available at @newseasonsmarket. SO TINY AND TENDER! I served these baby beauts with 

Buffalo Ribeye Flatbreads

Grilled Nicky Farms bison ribeye with grilled flatbread; a gremolata of carrot tops, mint, and lovage flowers (all from the garden), lemon juice and garlic; quick-pickled ramps and green strawberries; opal basil flowers, parsley flowers, and salad burnet from the garden; purple cauliflower and carrot 

Grilled Sockeye with Blue Cheese Grits & Greens

Summer’s been a long time coming in Portland this year. We didn’t even break 80 degrees until after the 4th of July, I think. I really haven’t been complaining, I actually like it lukewarm and cloudy. But now, friends, now we have something to really 

Pig Roast 2009

After two weekends in a row hosting parties at our house (and all the fretting and prepping and feverish house-cleaning that it entails), I needed a few days’ recovery to revel in inactivity. This quickly descends into crippling laziness, as is its wont, until I 

Grilled eggplant and heirloom tomato panini with chevre and kalamata tapenade

Yay! Summery weekend weather started on Friday, and the lovely log of French goat cheese that’s been languishing in my fridge got its day in the sun. The first good heirloom tomatoes starting showing up in stores, and I was powerless. An eggplant and a 

Honey-tamarind chicken with rice vermicelli

Today, Scott and his broworkers went to Green Papaya to get some delicious Vietnamese food, as was their daily wont until the bulk of them relocated to an office further away than across the street. Today was Green Papaya for old times’. They sat down 

Lamb berbere with grilled vegetables, jalapeño pesto and smoked tomato orzo

Yes, that is a segment of lamb femur with the marrow sucked out, enjoying its second life as a parsley holder. I love having a little time to just wander around the grocery store, no agenda or list, and just see what looks good and 

Buffalo burgers with smoked gouda

Yeesh, it took me a week to post this dinner I made last weekend! I woulda done it earlier, I swear, but these photos are pretty bad. I was too busy enjoying a perfect day to bother with things like Sensitivity and Exposure. Bah, who