Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feed_logo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Children should not order sandwiches without parents!http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/11/children-should-not-order-sandwiches-without-parents/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/11/children-should-not-order-sandwiches-without-parents/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/11/children-should-not-order-sandwiches-without-parents/#commentsFiled under: ,

wegmans sign, dulles virginiaWatch out. That ham and swiss baguette may have protein, dairy and wheat!

Signs have appeared in Wegman's grocery store delis (this one was spotted in Dulles, Virginia) warning customers that children -- due to fear of allergens -- may not order food without an adult present.

I have no idea what to say about this, but it seems further proof to me that food has gone from pleasure and nourishment to a substance needing regulation, brightly-colored barriers and warning signs.

Alert! There may be eggs in your asparagus omelette! Hide your women and young ones.

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]]>Sarah GilbertFri, 11 Jan 2008 11:29:00 ESTThe sustainable food project: What isn't local?http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/10/the-sustainable-food-project-what-isnt-local/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/10/the-sustainable-food-project-what-isnt-local/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/10/the-sustainable-food-project-what-isnt-local/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I'm trying to eat more sustainably, choosing "pastured" meats and dairy, free-range eggs, and local, organic produce from small farms; I'm also trying to virtually eliminate processed foods from my family's diet. I have three small boys and a husband who grew up on Fruit Loops and KFC. I live in the city (Portland, Oregon); I work full-time; and I'm learning to garden. This is my story.

I don't think I have an addictive personality, but it's true: I'm addicted to caffeine. Not only am I an addict, I'm something of a snob, pooh-poohing Starbucks and supermarket brands for single-estate coffee beans and PG Tips tea. It's ok: as luxuries go, my choices aren't terribly draining on family finances. At about $10 a 12-ounce bag, my coffee habit runs me less than $20 a week.

But. I'm trying to eat local, honoring as much of the spirit of the 100-mile diet and the locavores as I can (though my range is probably more like 300 miles, given how huge is my home state of Oregon).

Continue reading The sustainable food project: What isn't local?

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]]>coffeeeat localEatLocalexceptionsexemptexemptionslocal foodLocalFoodlocavoresaltsustainablesustainable-food-projectteathe-sustainable-food-projectSarah GilbertThu, 10 Jan 2008 20:58:00 ESTLocavore backlash: Amy Stewart cries 'not fair!' on NPRhttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/08/locavore-backlash-amy-stewart-cries-not-fair-on-npr/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/08/locavore-backlash-amy-stewart-cries-not-fair-on-npr/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/08/locavore-backlash-amy-stewart-cries-not-fair-on-npr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

too many books about eating localTired of reading about eating local? Mad that your friends are going on and on about the provenance of the sage leaves (heirlooms from my own garden, they are!) on the gourmet dinner they served you? Really sick of hearing about your college roommate's new chicken coop? Well, you may not be, but NPR commentator Amy Stewart, is.

In a piece that seemed more bitter than escarole picked past its prime, Stewart takes America to task for its focus on the word, concept, and media conglomerate behind "locavores." (In case you missed it, "locavore" was selected as the 2007 word of the year by The New Oxford American Dictionary.) She says local eating is just "another symptom of our deeply troubled relationship with food" and "our obsession with local food has gone far enough ... we have heaped all our fears and anxieties onto the dinnerplate." Umm... isn't that the whole idea of the local eating "obsession"? Isn't it that we've ignored our dinner plates too long? I thought that reconnecting with our food supply and caring about animal rights (not so much for the animals' sake as for our very health and life, mind you -- poor treatment of animals and vegetables is thought to be responsible for the majority of often-deadly foodborne illnesses we confront) was completely the point.

It sounds to me as if Amy Stewart is a little peeved she didn't get a book deal to pay for her groceries for a year.

Continue reading Locavore backlash: Amy Stewart cries 'not fair!' on NPR

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]]>amy stewartAmyStewartbittereating localEatingLocalfood writerFoodWriterlocal foodLocalFoodlocavorelocavoresnprstewartwritersSarah GilbertTue, 08 Jan 2008 17:24:00 ESTThe sustainable food project: Troubleshooting sandwich toppingshttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/02/the-sustainable-food-project-troubleshooting-sandwich-toppings/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/02/the-sustainable-food-project-troubleshooting-sandwich-toppings/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/02/the-sustainable-food-project-troubleshooting-sandwich-toppings/#commentsFiled under: , ,

sandwich with tomato and lettuceI've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a book extolling the virtues of eating locally (and the horrors of eating veggies trucked in from California, Chile, and other places far afield). Beyond simply pushing organic food or a vegetarian lifestyle, Kingsolver suggests that eating foods grown locally, in season, by farmers using sustainable practices can, basically, save the world -- not to mention, be delicious. I've swallowed her pitch hook, line, and heirloom potato, and have begun deeply rethinking our family's grocery lists. Starting this process in the dead of winter is a challenge, and "the sustainable food project" is my way of sharing the struggle with you.

The sandwich, a staple of my family's diet, is a particularly interesting problem. Were I to open a pictorial culinary dictionary under "S," I'd imagine a photo of bread, meat, tomato, lettuce, mayo. But fresh red tomatoes and leafy green lettuce are anything but in season in Oregon, where I live -- and the vast majority of the U.S. and Europe for the next several months. Because it's easy to find a sustainably-farmed source, we've been eating lots of beef, ham, and crusty local bread, but what else?

I've been able to find lots of delicious, flavorful options utilizing local, organic produce.

Continue reading The sustainable food project: Troubleshooting sandwich toppings

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]]>lettucelocallocal foodLocalFoodlocavoresandwichsandwichesslow foodSlowFoodsustainablesustainable-foodsustainable-food-projecttomatoSarah GilbertWed, 02 Jan 2008 10:41:00 ESTTater Ware: Potatoes change the way we look at carbs and coffee lidshttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/19/tater-ware-potatoes-change-the-way-we-look-at-carbs-and-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/19/tater-ware-potatoes-change-the-way-we-look-at-carbs-and-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/19/tater-ware-potatoes-change-the-way-we-look-at-carbs-and-coffee/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

taterwareI was getting off the bus on my way to a craft swap, and I was mind-numbingly sleep-deprived. I needed coffee immediately and almost cried with happiness when I saw the sign outside the new electric car dealership. "Hip Drip Cafe," or something. Whatever. They had coffee.

I bought a cup and started feeling guilty when I got to the airpots to fill up. There was a sign encouraging patrons to bring their own cups -- you'd save 25 cents -- and I've been really working to reduce my waste lately. I mentally reminded myself to bring the cup home, so I could compost it and recycle the plastic lid. I grabbed the lid and... discovered Tater Ware.

Tater Ware is, as the cup lid indicates, made of potatoes. They are 100% biodegradable and, if you're worried about those things, GMO free. In addition to the to go cup lid I had on my coffee, the company makes clamshell takeout containers, deli trays, cutlery, and hot/cold cups. The products are "microwarmable" (you can use them to reheat food and beverages in the microwave) and, yep, they can go straight in the compost pile.

Most importantly, my coffee did not have a potato-ey aftertaste. My next campaign: convincing my neighborhood coffee shop to switch to Tater Ware. Someone's got to keep Idaho in business!

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]]>biodegradablecoffeecoffee cupscoffee lidsCoffeeCupsCoffeeLidsgreenlidspotatopotatoestatertaterwareSarah GilbertFri, 19 Oct 2007 18:25:00 ESTVirgin Mary appearing as a hard-boiled egg?http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/03/virgin-mary-appearing-as-a-hard-boiled-egg/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/03/virgin-mary-appearing-as-a-hard-boiled-egg/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/03/virgin-mary-appearing-as-a-hard-boiled-egg/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I keep four delightful chickens in my backyard for their plentiful fresh eggs and overall charm as pets. Here in Portland, Oregon, backyard chickens are somewhat in vogue, and I subscribe to a lively Yahoo! group dedicated to all that is urban chicken farming. (No. We don't eat our chickens. Because I knew you would ask.)

Yesterday, one of its members, Lori, gathered some eggs from her Ameraucana, and boiled them up for breakfast. Imagine her surprise when she peeled one that had cracked in the pan -- the perfect image of the Virgin Mary!

Lori's trying to figure out if she can preserve the egg. In the meantime, let us know what you think: is God once again speaking to us from our food? And is he reminding us how we should all treat our chickens better? I think so.

[Larger version of photo after the jump.]

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]]>boiled eggBoiledEggegggodhard-boiled eggHard-boiledEggholy foodHolyFoodvirginvirgin maryVirginMarySarah GilbertWed, 03 Oct 2007 19:06:00 ESTFood Porn: Burgerville fresh strawberry milkshakehttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/05/19/food-porn-burgerville-fresh-strawberry-milkshake/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/05/19/food-porn-burgerville-fresh-strawberry-milkshake/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/05/19/food-porn-burgerville-fresh-strawberry-milkshake/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In the Pacific Northwest, there's a place called Burgerville. The beef is always free-range and the salads always sport local hazelnuts. But nothing compares to you, seasonal fresh strawberry milkshake. And nothing says summer is coming! like a strawberry milkshake sparkling, dripping in the sunlight as you pull away from the drivethrough. Ahhhh ... life is good here in Portland.

[Photo Sarah Gilbert]

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]]>burgervilleburgerville milkshakeBurgervilleMilkshakefast foodFastFoodfresh strawberriesFreshStrawberriesmilk shakeMilkShakeshakestrawberriesstrawberrystrawberry milkshakeStrawberryMilkshakesummerSarah GilbertFri, 19 May 2006 10:02:00 ESTSausage, it's not just for breakfast anymorehttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/16/sausage-its-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/16/sausage-its-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/16/sausage-its-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

maple sausage, delicious anytime
I think this package says it all. I picked up a pound of maple sausage, the delectable links that my family has always called "breakfast sausage" without allowing a title to limit our consumption. No, we eat it from dawn 'til dusk, despite its moniker.

Evidently, Fred Meyer (our local grocery and part of the Kroger gi-nomerate) is worried that the name "breakfast sausage" will limit more conservative families to (horrors!) eat it only during breakfast. They've changed the label so it reads, "maple flavored sausage" and "delicious anytime!"

Thank you, Fred Meyer, for freeing us -- and our sausages -- from the shackles of breakfast.

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]]>advertisingbizarrebreakfastbreakfast sausageBreakfastSausagefred meyerfred meyer sausageFredMeyerFredMeyerSausagekrogermaple flavoredmaple flavored sausagemaple sausageMapleFlavoredMapleFlavoredSausageMapleSausageoddpackagingsausagestrangeweirdSarah GilbertSun, 16 Apr 2006 09:09:00 ESTPanama Duran coffee from Trader Joe's: cheap, and good toohttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/15/panama-duran-coffee-from-trader-joes-cheap-and-good-too/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/15/panama-duran-coffee-from-trader-joes-cheap-and-good-too/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/15/panama-duran-coffee-from-trader-joes-cheap-and-good-too/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

panama cafe duran trader joe's - photo sarah gilbertI'm a coffee aficionado (or as they might say it in Panama, aficionado de café), but I'm also on a budget. And although I'd love to drink nothing but that lyrical Stumptown Sidamo or the deep, dark, delicious Thundermuck, well, $10 a pound is a but much for every day.

Thus I was delighted to see a new 12-ounce can of coffee for only $3.99 at Trader Joe's last week: Panama Café Duran. My little sister Jenny lives in Panama and I've drunk Duran before; it's the everyday coffee found in every Panamanian supermarket. I know it's decent, and in the hands of Trader Joe's it is fresh, balanced, and just dark enough to satisfy that part of me that longs for those polished mucky beans so revered here in Portland.

Yesterday I picked up another can and as I was reaching for it another woman was looking at the green-and-yellow can, considering. "It's good!" I said, "and cheap!" I know you're going to be in Trader Joe's, and you'll be wondering, too. Go for it.

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]]>coffee beancoffee beanscoffee reviewsCoffeeBeanCoffeeBeansCoffeeReviewsduranduran coffeeDuranCoffeegood coffeeGoodCoffeepanamapanama cafe duranpanama coffeepanama duranpanama duran coffeePanamaCafeDuranPanamaCoffeePanamaDuranPanamaDuranCoffeetrader joetrader joe'strader joe's coffeetrader joesTraderJoeTraderJoe'sTraderJoe'sCoffeeTraderJoeswingirlywingirlycoffeeblogSarah GilbertSat, 15 Apr 2006 20:03:00 ESTEthiopia Sidamo: coffee that tastes like strawberries and creamhttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/06/ethiopia-sidamo-coffee-that-tastes-like-strawberries-and-cream/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/06/ethiopia-sidamo-coffee-that-tastes-like-strawberries-and-cream/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/04/06/ethiopia-sidamo-coffee-that-tastes-like-strawberries-and-cream/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

a cup of ethiopia sidamo at gladstone coffeeYesterday I picked "Ethiopia Sidamo" from the thermal pot at my fave local coffee shop, on a whim. I almost never go with the boring, ordinary Colombian house blend. Sometimes I'm wowed by my alternative selection, other times it's just coffee.

Color me wowed. I can't get enough of this stuff. It tastes like berries. No lie. And I'm sure you're thinking, coffee that tastes like berries? I totally passed that raspberry-flavored stuff up in the coffee aisle at my grocery store. But this is more a terroir thing (do they call it terroir in coffee?). The coffee beans, they're not that different from grapes, after all. Roasting brings out these amazingly complex and, yes, fruity flavors. According to the roaster, Stumptown Coffee, "The cup is Neopolitan ice cream... Intense chocolate, strawberry and creamy vanilla flavors in every sip." Plus it's organic and fair-trade and ohmigod I am so in love with this coffee. I wish I could give you a taste, you'd never be the same.

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]]>berry coffeeBerryCoffeebest coffee everBestCoffeeEverchocolatecoffeecoffee terroircoffee that tastes like berriescoffee that tastes like strawberriescoffee that tastes like strawberrycoffeesCoffeeTerroirCoffeeThatTastesLikeBerriesCoffeeThatTastesLikeStrawberriesCoffeeThatTastesLikeStrawberryethiopiaethiopianethiopian coffeeEthiopianCoffeefair trade coffeefair-tradeFairTradeCoffeeflavored coffeeflavored coffeesFlavoredCoffeeFlavoredCoffeesgladstonegladstone coffeegladstone coffee shopGladstoneCoffeeGladstoneCoffeeShopneopolitanneopolitan coffeeneopolitan ice creamneopolitan ice cream coffeeNeopolitanCoffeeNeopolitanIceCreamNeopolitanIceCreamCoffeeoregonorganicorganic coffeeOrganicCoffeeportlandportland coffeeportland oregonPortlandCoffeePortlandOregonstrawberriesstrawberrystrawberry coffeeStrawberryCoffeestumptownstumptown coffeestumptown coffee roastersStumptownCoffeeStumptownCoffeeRoastersterroirterroir in coffeeTerroirInCoffeevanillawingirlywingirlycoffeeblogSarah GilbertThu, 06 Apr 2006 16:03:00 ESTSpring Cleaning: buttermilk scones with white chocolate chipshttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/30/spring-cleaning-buttermilk-scones-with-white-chocolate-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/30/spring-cleaning-buttermilk-scones-with-white-chocolate-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/30/spring-cleaning-buttermilk-scones-with-white-chocolate-chips/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

buttermilk scones and coffee a la sarah gilbert
My refrigerator is always full of buttermilk. You see, I'm a thrifty soul, and if I need buttermilk for a recipe I can't bear to buy the pint-sized cartons. Did you even see the price per fluid ounce? No, I must go for the economical two-quart-sized container. Thing is: there is no recipe on the whole earth that calls for a half gallon of buttermilk.* Instead, I measure out 1/2 cup or five tablespoons or some other amazingly tiny quantity. And then, every time I pick up a recipe, I think, how can I use buttermilk in this?

So when I was looking for a recipe for scones the other day, I was terrifically happy to find this one on Nicole's blog. I made it, with great success, and then started scheming. How could I use even more of the ingredients slowly turning from "non-perishable" to "perished" in my pantry shelves? I emailed Nicole, I rummaged to find white chocolate chips and dried blueberries and I made these fantastic drop scones. [click through for recipe]

*portions of this post may be highly exaggerated.

Continue reading Spring Cleaning: buttermilk scones with white chocolate chips

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]]>blueberriesblueberry sconesBlueberrySconesbuttermilkbuttermilk sconesButtermilkSconeschocolate chipsChocolateChipsdried blueberriesDriedBlueberriesquick breadsQuickBreadssconescone recipescone recipesSconeRecipeSconeRecipessconesscones recipeSconesRecipewhite chocolatewhite chocolate chipsWhiteChocolateWhiteChocolateChipswingirlywingirlycoffeeblogSarah GilbertThu, 30 Mar 2006 07:24:00 ESTFood Porn: papaya coconut lime cupcakeshttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/29/food-porn-papaya-coconut-lime-cupcakes/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/29/food-porn-papaya-coconut-lime-cupcakes/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/29/food-porn-papaya-coconut-lime-cupcakes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

papaya coconut lime cupcakes from chockylit
These lovely little cupcakes called out to my spring-starved soul, lost in a sea of grey skies and 90% chance-of-showers. They sing of sun and tropical breezes, with their papaya and their lime and their coconut. Chockylit has the recipe; the cupcakes are made with coconut milk, with chopped papaya and shredded coconut stirred in before baking; and the icing is made of cream cheese, the usual butter and sugar, and flavored with fresh grated ginger, ground ginger and lime juice. You should also check out the whole photo essay on flickr.

[Photo chockylit, via Cupcake Takes the Cake flickr pool]

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]]>coconut cakecoconut cupcakecoconut cupcake recipecoconut cupcakescoconut lime cupcakesCoconutCakeCoconutCupcakeCoconutCupcakeRecipeCoconutCupcakesCoconutLimeCupcakescupcakecupcake pornCupcakePorncupcakeslimepapayaSarah GilbertWed, 29 Mar 2006 06:54:00 ESTFood Porn: mini-cupcakes in coffee shops the latest thinghttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/28/food-porn-mini-cupcakes-in-coffee-shops-the-latest-thing/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/28/food-porn-mini-cupcakes-in-coffee-shops-the-latest-thing/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/28/food-porn-mini-cupcakes-in-coffee-shops-the-latest-thing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

mini cupcake at sydney's, portland, oregon
It's the latest thing, dontcha know? As follower of coffee shop culture and aficionado of the cupcake craze, I come to you, the leading expert in the field (says me), to announce: mini-cupcakes in coffee shops are the latest things. Bagels? Yes, they're a staple of at-the-desk breakfasters everywhere, but they're so over. Cinnamon rolls are on the way out. Oatmeal cookies - hey, everyone loves oatmeal cookies - but how can you choose cookies over itsy bites of creamy buttery frosting and soft spongy bits of cake?

I found these delicacies at Sydney's, 1800 NW 16th, the hippest thing in Portland, Ore.'s coffee destinations. The ones at Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon St., during my trip to Princeton, NJ were even better. As I hit my favorite coffeeshops from one coast to another, I keep seeing the ubiquitous mini-cupcake and I'm here to tell you: this trend rocks. And now it's how you'll know your coffeeshop is truly with it.

[Photos Sarah Gilbert]

Continue reading Food Porn: mini-cupcakes in coffee shops the latest thing

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]]>coffee shop trendscoffeeshopCoffeeShopTrendscupcakecupcake crazeCupcakeCrazecupcakesmini-cupcakemini-cupcakessmall worldsmall world cafesmall world coffesmall world coffeeSmallWorldSmallWorldCafeSmallWorldCoffeSmallWorldCoffeesydney'ssydney's coffeeSydney'sCoffeewingirlywingirlycoffeeblogSarah GilbertTue, 28 Mar 2006 20:59:00 ESTMaking your own butter: everyone's doing ithttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/16/making-your-own-butter-everyones-doing-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/16/making-your-own-butter-everyones-doing-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/03/16/making-your-own-butter-everyones-doing-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

butter in my cuisinart - photo sarah gilbert
The stars must have aligned somehow, and the world over was swept with the urge to make butter at home. My inspiration came a few weeks ago, when I found myself in a momentary cash crisis. In my refrigerator, I had a large amount of heavy cream, but no butter. As I faced the very real, very terrible specter or using the last pat of butter on my toast, I remembered some long-ago read magazine feature on making butter with kids (why with kids? child labor, I suppose). The suggestion, I remembered, was simple: put cream in jar. Screw on lid. Shake, rattle, and roll until butter appears.

So we set to work. My babysitter. My three-year-old. My husband. And me.

Continue reading Making your own butter: everyone's doing it

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]]>buttermake your own butterMakeYourOwnButtermaking butterMakingButterSarah GilbertThu, 16 Mar 2006 22:25:00 ESTCaffarel Gianduia chocolate: gold medal in my mouthhttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/23/caffarel-gianduia-chocolate-gold-medal-in-my-mouth/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/23/caffarel-gianduia-chocolate-gold-medal-in-my-mouth/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/23/caffarel-gianduia-chocolate-gold-medal-in-my-mouth/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

caffarel gianduia chocolate bar - photo sarah gilbertI've always been attracted to Caffarel's yellow wrapper and stylized Italian logo. But it wasn't until the Olympics began and I learned all about the mysteries of gianduia, the hazelnut-flavored chocolate native to Olympics host Torino, that my attraction turned into a purchase. Last week I brought home the beautifully-wrapped, gold-accented chocolate bar.

It was a few days before I tasted it, and when I did, I was truly in a new cioccolato heaven. From this day forward, Caffarel will be my chocolate of choice when I just need something incomparably creamy, rich, melt-in-mouth-able.

You know how most chocolate bars settle on one extreme of the creaminess scale, either too soft and sticky, or so hard they hurt your teeth when you break off a chunk? Caffarel's gianduia bar is so soft and delicate, it's already melting when it hits your tongue; but yet the bar is solid, easily broken into chunks by hand. And still, no chocolatey fingerprints. The hazelnut taste is perfect, just the essence of flavoring, not tipping the balance to bitter, as so many hazelnut-flavored chocolates do. I give Caffarel the chocolate gold medal. My bar was $3.89 (definitely not cheap) at Pastaworks. Hopefully I'll be able to afford it more than once every four years.

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]]>caffarelcaffarel chocolatecaffarel gianduiaCaffarelChocolateCaffarelGianduiacafferelcafferel chocolateCafferelChocolatechocolate barChocolateBargianduiaolympic chocolateOlympicChocolateolympicstorinotorino italyTorinoItalyturinturin italyTurinItalySarah GilbertThu, 23 Feb 2006 17:03:00 ESTPork, the other flickr grouphttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/21/pork-the-other-flickr-group/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/21/pork-the-other-flickr-group/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/21/pork-the-other-flickr-group/#commentsFiled under: , ,

my pork chops on flickr
How could I resist such an invitation? Blue coyote laughing posted a comment to my pork chops photo asking if I could add it to Pork: the other flickr meat. She had me at the funny title. I was happy to do what I can to further the cause of The Other White Meat and laughed uproariously at the other group members' jokes about bacon (baconbaconbacon is the group's url tag) and the way the group admin uses "oink!" as a salutation. C'mon, how can you resist hundreds of photos of pork, pigs, bacon and butchers? You know you can't. Join.

Oink.

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]]>baconbacon bacon baconBaconBaconBaconflickrflickr porkFlickrPorkporkpork on flickrpork the other flickr grouppork the other white meatPorkOnFlickrPorkTheOtherFlickrGroupPorkTheOtherWhiteMeatthe other white meatTheOtherWhiteMeatSarah GilbertTue, 21 Feb 2006 18:47:00 ESTCoffee shop etiquette: will you watch my stuff?http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/12/coffee-shop-etiquette-will-you-watch-my-stuff/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/12/coffee-shop-etiquette-will-you-watch-my-stuff/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/12/coffee-shop-etiquette-will-you-watch-my-stuff/#commentsFiled under: ,

laptop in coffeeshopAs I've been taking my laptop to coffee shops with ever-greater frequency, I've entirely given up the "will you watch my stuff?" routine when I use the restroom. I don't have the latest and greatest PC, and I operate in the world with the theory that, if I'm gentle and trust people, I will receive the same treatment, back.

With the proliferation of free wifi in coffee shops and the diuretic nature of caffeine, it stands to reason that this dilemma is more and more of a concern every day. As I see it you have three options: either you (a) pack up your equipment and bring it to the restroom with you; (b) ask someone (a friendly stranger) to watch your things; or (c) trust and pee fast.

So far, I've never been burned with my trusting routine, and I've done it in coffee shops from New York to Portland... and all over Portland. It helps that I'm a regular customer, of course, but being a newbie never stops me. Do you trust your fellow coffee shop patron?

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]]>coffee shop restroomsCoffeeShopRestroomsgoing to the restroomGoingToTheRestroomlaptoplaptops in coffee shopsLaptopsInCoffeeShopstrusttrustingwifiSarah GilbertSun, 12 Feb 2006 06:28:00 ESTTop U.S. coffee 'bars' include La Colombe, Ritual Coffee Roastershttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/11/top-u-s-coffee-bars-include-la-colombe-ritual-coffee-roaster/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/11/top-u-s-coffee-bars-include-la-colombe-ritual-coffee-roaster/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/11/top-u-s-coffee-bars-include-la-colombe-ritual-coffee-roaster/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

the coffee bar at my local jointI went to graduate school in Philadelphia, and lived only a few blocks from the famed La Colombe Torrefaction. I was a student, it was far too hip for me - but I did stop in once or twice for a croissant and what Food & Wine Magazine calls their "silky cappuccino," naming the caffeinated hotspot the top U.S. coffee "bar."

So coffee is served at bars, not shops, now? The magazine also picks Ritual Coffee Roasters in San Francisco, Ninth Street Espresso in the East Village, New York; Aloha Island in Beverly Hills and Ruta Maya in Austin. Naturally I think they're ignoring some legendary spots here in Portland (hello, aren't we coffeeville?), like Stumptown Coffee and Ristretto Roasters.

As I've only quaffed java at one of their top five spots, though, I can hardly be a judge. What do you all think: are they missing anyplace else that's truly paradise in a French Press?

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]]>aloha islandaloha island coffeeAlohaIslandAlohaIslandCoffeeaustinaustin texasAustinTexasbeverly hillsBeverlyHillscaliforniacoffee barcoffee barscoffee shopsCoffeeBarCoffeeBarsCoffeeShopseast villageEastVillagekona coffeeKonaCoffeela colombela colombe torrefactionLaColombeLaColombeTorrefactionmanhattannew yorkNewYorkninth street espressoNinthStreetEspressophiladelphiaristretto roastersRistrettoRoastersritual coffeeritual coffee roastersRitualCoffeeRitualCoffeeRoastersruta mayaRutaMayastumptown coffeeStumptownCoffeetexastop coffee barstop coffee shopsTopCoffeeBarsTopCoffeeShopsSarah GilbertSat, 11 Feb 2006 20:22:00 ESTCook light for your valentine so you have room to romphttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/11/cook-light-for-your-valentine-so-you-have-room-to-romp/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/11/cook-light-for-your-valentine-so-you-have-room-to-romp/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/11/cook-light-for-your-valentine-so-you-have-room-to-romp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

iceberg salad - photo sarah gilbertWhat's the perfect thing to serve for Valentine's Day? Blogger Chubby Hubby recommends against the heavy restaurant meals so popular among lovers and lusty gourmands; as he points out, "I know all I ever want to do after having eaten till bursting is lie down and take a nap. A light dinner ensures that both you and your companion have the energy for some good old-fashioned cardiovascular fun."

He suggests a menu of scallops with bacon and parmesan; confit of salmon hijiki and ikura with mushrooms; and the "utterly sexy" chocolate red wine soup with strawberries.

Other ideas of sultry food that will give you room to romp afterward: artichokes with romesco sauce; cold cucumber soup; goat cheese salad; salt cod cakes; this iceberg salad pictured here (dressing: mix one cup mayonnaise with 2 tbsp balsamic mayo and 1-2 ounces crumbled blue cheese; salt and cayenne pepper to taste); and panna cotta.

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]]>light meallight meal for valentine's daylight mealsLightMealLightMealForValentine'sDayLightMealsrecipe for valentines dayRecipeForValentinesDayrecipesromantic dinnerromantic recipesRomanticDinnerRomanticRecipesvalentinevalentine's dayvalentine's day recipesvalentine's dinnerValentine'sDayValentine'sDayRecipesValentine'sDinnervalentines day recipesValentinesDayRecipesSarah GilbertSat, 11 Feb 2006 14:10:00 ESTCooking Live with Slashfood: cassoulet is easy! and donehttp://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/10/cooking-live-with-slashfood-cassoulet-is-easy-and-done/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/10/cooking-live-with-slashfood-cassoulet-is-easy-and-done/http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/10/cooking-live-with-slashfood-cassoulet-is-easy-and-done/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

cassoulet finished product
I've finished cooking my cassoulet, and it wasn't near as bad as I feared. Other than being labor-intensive for about an hour, it cooked all by itself while I hung out with my family. It's now being consumed as fast as we can shovel it in our mouths. It's so flavorful, and the different sorts of meats really go together well. I love LOVE the beans. I could eat them one by one all night long.

Next time, I think I'll make it with lamb and substitute something else for the garlic sausage - I don't really like it much. Maybe something spicy like andouille (although I know that's going a bit in a different direction). The duck is fantastic, and although the whole dish is pricey, it's worth it - I fed six adults for about $30, and you could go cheaper by purchasing your stew meat from a regular grocery store.

Continue reading Cooking Live with Slashfood: cassoulet is easy! and done

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]]>cassouletcooking livecooking live with sarah gilbertcooking live with slashfoodCookingLiveCookingLiveWithSarahGilbertCookingLiveWithSlashfoodSarah GilbertFri, 10 Feb 2006 20:57:00 EST