Yankee Succotash

Yes, spring is here in Portland, but hanging-on cloudy days have me clamoring for earth tones.  I’ve always preferred muted earth tones and rich jewel tones, and even though I should be eating piles of sweet green pea tendrils and fennel bulbs, I don’t mind …

Ukrainian Borscht with Pancetta and Juniper

Many foods are evocative of one’s place of peasant origin, of one’s mother-tongue. When done properly, the mere smell of these foods has the power to bring a grown man to his blubbering knees, felled by memories of hiding shy behind grandma’s apron. Borscht is …

Elk Chili

I have the good fortune of having been born into a family of prolific hunters (read: unemployed men with guns).  My dad uses this as currency, bartering venison for visits with his grandson. He can never simply tell me he wants to see Zephyr. Instead, …

Sopa del mezcolanza

…or, “hodgepodge soup”. Yeah, I’ve already failed at meeting my once-a-week blogging quota. And I don’t fucking care! God, it’s so liberating to just admit that instead of apologizing and making excuses. I have been cooking here and there, but nothing new or interesting. I …

Feijoadas grandes

Last summer I was totally knocked up and not good for much. Thank god I still had the presence of mind to a) grow a vegetable garden that included scarlet runner beans and b) utilize some of October’s nesting instinct to harvest all of the …

Moroccan Chickpea and Carrot Stew

…or, Back in the Saddle Again Zephyr is now 8 weeks old, and I’m starting to get the hang of having him around. That said, cooking still takes me a bit of planning (unless I opt for yet another “pasta night” or “takeout night”). This …

Roasted parsnip soup with bacon and caramelized leeks

I am so into the toasty-crouton-on-soup thing right now. It’s the reason for soup, almost, to get crispy bread and buttery, melty goodness into my gaping maw. This soup is of typical creation myth: too lazy for a trip to the store, too much good …

Split pea soup with pancetta and ham

I should just go ahead and change the name of this blog to Soup and Brekkie, cuz I’m on a fucking kick. Soup is a basic thing, though, and anyone can make excellent soup if they’re willing to keep bags of bones and carcass in …

Minestra al pomodoro e pesto

It’s finally soup weather. We’ve gotten back to the sodden, gloomy, winter weather that makes people slit their wrists when they move here. I love it. It’s damp and moldy, and it smells like warm compost and fecundity again after all that stupid Arctic Blast …

Elk sirloin chili with Beans

Any more, whenever I cook or even eat beans, I think of my buddy Ken Albala over at Ken Albala’s Food Rant. He doesn’t get as much traffic as all the Foodbuzz and Foodie Blogroll folks, which is a fucking shame, because he’s actually a …