With the rise of artisan American cheesemakers, it shouldn't be a surprise that some of them, like Rogue Creamery and Uplands Cheese Company, are exporting their cheeses to markets abroad. Tasting even a small bite of the lusciously creamy Rogue River Blue (now, imported to England by Neal's Yard Dairy) makes it clear that stateside cheesemakers mean business when it comes to quality.

Hand wrapped in grape leaves, Rogue River Blue has a smooth complex flavor that ranges from sweet and fruity to nutty. Its texture is intensely rich, reminiscent of a Roquefort Baragnaudes. However, unlike Roquefort -- which is produced from raw sheep's milk -- this blue is made from raw cow's milk. And in contrast to many blues, like Gorgonzola Piccante, this one is more sweet than spicy. So, for those of you whose palates have been traumatized by overly-pungent blues, this one is sure to win you over.

Like most delicious artisanal cheeses, the craftsmanship (and local collaboration) involved in producing Rogue River Blue is directly responsible for its brilliant taste and consistency. The cheese comes from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Ore. There, in the Rogue River Valley, the wheels are covered in grape leaves that are harvested from nearby Carpenter Hill Vineyard. But these aren't just any grape leaves: They're all macerated in Clear Creek's Pear Brandy and then tied to the cheese with strands of raffia.

The Green Dragon in Portland, Oregon. Photo: mrzarquon/Flickr

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

According to the past two weeks' worth of WOT, Portland, Ore., might be the most neglected What's On Tap city. And what neglect! Portland has regularly been regarded as one of America's top beer towns, snagging top honors in a recent online poll that beer legend Charlie Papazian put together.

This week, Portland's Green Dragon gets some much deserved attention. It was named after Boston's original Green Dragon Tavern, which was dubbed "the headquarters of the Revolution" due to the proclivity of many rabble-rousing Colonial American groups to congregate there. Proprietors of this modern Oregonian iteration promote relaxation, not rebellion, with a great draft selection that includes a number of hard to find brews, a chill atmosphere and a large selection of bar games.

Last year, the Green Dragon was purchased by Rogue Ales, but that hasn't changed its commitment to offering a unique range of beers. Assistant Manager Samantha Sugar (who calls herself the "Beer Gazelle") tells us the Dragon still aims for that "neighborhood bar appeal" with an always rotating selection of beers.

A number of news sources are reporting this morning that five Oregon state lawmakers have proposed a 1,900% increase in the state's tax on beer -- an increase that opponents are calling the single largest beer tax hike in the nation's history.

The numbers speak for themselves: Currently, the excise tax on beer in Oregon is $2.60 per barrel. If these legislators have their way, that tax would be raised to $49.61 per barrel. In a CNN video, Kurt Widmer of Portland, Oregon's nationally recognized craft brewer, Widmer Brothers Brewery, says that could amount to an increase of $2 - $4 per six pack.

Oregon ranks next to last among states in its malt beverage taxation rate which hasn't been raised since the 1970s -- probably one of the many reasons why Oregon has such a healthy number of breweries to begin with, featuring award-winning and highly recognizable names such as Rogue Ales, Hair of the Dog and Full Sail (among a laundry list of others). So yes, though a tax hike might bring in more revenue to a state that desperately needs to close a budget gap during these tough economic times, such a price increase could also reduce sales, raising the possibility of lost jobs, which certainly wouldn't help the Oregon economy.

It's the kind of economic riddle being debated all across the country as America tries to dig itself out of its economic crisis. If you happen to have such a conversation over a beer brewed in Oregon, it's one more reminder that no one is immune from the hardship.

[via kgw.com and CNN.com]

The first time I encountered latte art in person was at Jim and Patty's in Portland, OR. It was December 2004 and I was out in my hometown, visiting my parents. When I visit them, I make a point of slurping down as much good Portland coffee as possible and Jim and Patty's is always one of my favorite stops. I walked up to the counter, ordered a latte and was totally mesmerized as the guy running the espresso machine made the foam resemble a fallen leaf with a couple flicks of his wrist.

These days, there are many people who spend their days elevating the combination of coffee and milk into the highest form of impermanent loveliness. Check out the video above for some amazing work. For more, check out this amazing Flickr set.

[via Food for Thought]

I imagine that hospital food administration is one of the toughest, most thankless jobs in the world. While most chefs have to deal with poorly-trained waiters and difficult customers, hospital kitchens have to deal with untrained orderlies and patients who are, probably, at their worst. Chefs may have to work with ingredients that are less than ideal, but hospital kitchens have to try to make palatable, mainstream food out of relatively healthy ingredients, often in the absence of oil, salt, and other staples. If a chef gets a complaint, it might mean a poor review or a torn up check; if a hospital kitchen gets a complaint, it might mean a malpractice suit.

The best hospital kitchens provide tasty, comforting food to hundreds of patients and their families. When they're thoughtful and caring, it can really show through, as in the case of the Geisinger Clinic of Danville, Pennsylvania. Their restaurants, are consistently clean, well-staffed, and cheery, with delicious, reasonably-priced offerings. Since the same kitchens supply both the patients and the hospital restaurants, the options for both are pretty impressive. On the other hand, some hospitals (I'm looking at you, Montgomery County Regional!), simply phone it in. When my friend Maggie was hospitalized and needed a high-fat diet, the kitchen sent her a bowl of stock with a quarter stick of butter floating in it. Trying hard to avoid losing her appetite, Maggie called down to the kitchen and discovered that her other option had been a bacon cheeseburger. The chef had assumed that she'd prefer oily, salty broth with a scrim of butter!

Recently, Ashland Community Hospital in Oregon completely changed the way it delivers food to its patients. To begin with, it stopped the standard mealtime deliveries, opting instead for a system that allows patients to order food when they are hungry. Moreover, it ensured that they would actually get hungry by offering a wider array of foods. There isn't any data yet on the overall cost effectiveness of the new program, but patients are already raving about the choice. Moreover, as other hospital kitchens have determined that food waste is one of their largest costs, this program should probably save Ashland a lot of money.

When most people look at commercials for Klondike bars, I imagine that they see silly people doing fun, wacky things in return for yummy ice cream treats. Personally, I see cruelty, torture, and the dark side of addiction. Hunger is a harsh mistress; luckily, I've never been placed in a situation where I've had to do something embarrassing or illegal to get fed. To my shame, I have to admit that, under the right circumstances, I would probably humiliate myself for a Klondike bar. If the reward was a nice crême brûlée, there's no doubt: all bets would be off.

Because of this moral shortcoming, I can, to some extent, understand Tremayne Durham. A Brooklyn thug who was being held in an Oregon courthouse, Durham recently admitted that he did, indeed, kill a man in cold blood over a failed business deal. In return for his candor, he's probably facing life imprisonment.

What caused Durham to admit to his wrongdoing? Was it depression, guilt, a need for forgiveness, the first step on the road to redemption? No, Durham plead guilty to aggravated murder in return for a gargantuan fast-food feast. He received a bucket of KFC chicken, a bucket of Popeye's chicken, a serving of mashed potatoes, a serving of coleslaw, a slice of carrot cake, a pizza, two calzones, a tray of lasagna and a bucket of ice cream. The entire proceeding cost the state of Oregon a mere $41.70.

As Durham discovers that justice is sometimes served with a side of cole slaw, I'm going to start taking the idea of fast food addiction a lot more seriously...

I had a friend once who saved the corks from wine bottles. He said that he sent them to his brother for some reason or other I can't remember now. Now there really is a reason to save your corks (and not just for all those cork stamps you've been planning on making).

According to Chow: The Grinder, a new program called ReCORK America is operating in Oregon and California. ReCORK America collects and recycles used wine corks. It's sponsored by a Portugese cork manufacturer, Amorim, and works mainly with institutions that go though a lot of corks. However, they also have drop off centers so individuals can also participate.

I turned my browser to the New York Times Dining and Wine section yesterday morning and was startled to discover that the headlining story was about the burgeoning restaurant movement in my very hometown of Portland, OR. As I began to read, I was totally delighted to discover that the very first restaurateur they mentioned and then quoted was none other than my cousin, Andy Ricker. Forgive me the familial pride, but I'm bubbling over with excitement that what started as just a little Thai take-out shack in SE Portland has become enough of a city institution to merit a mention in country's newspaper of record.

Oh, and if you happen to get an opportunity to go to Pok Pok, make sure to have the fish sauce glazed wings. It's been nearly ten months since I had my last taste and I still dream about them.

Photo link

This summer, you may send your kids off to camp deep in the woods to eat bugs, make crafts out of tree bark, and sing sings in rounds around a campfire, but for the adults, the real summer camp is the three-day International Pinot Noir Celebration, being held this weekend (July 27-29) in Oregon Wine Country.

The Wine Advocate calls the event "unquestionably the finest in the world," with a hedonistic three days of seminars, tastings, tours and one-of-a-kind meals with 60 international Pinot Noir winemakers and food prepared by renown chefs in the Pacific Northwest. More information about the festival on the website.

Of course, it's only for a few weeks, to see how the other half lives.

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and his wife are going to live on just three dollars worth of food stamps a day raise awareness of what poorer people have to face in their everyday lives.

It sounds great I guess, but is it really an accurate representation? I mean, what car is the couple going to drive to the store in? When they get back from the store, what kind of house are they living in, what kind of bed, what kind of TV are they watching, how much money do they have in the bank if they need it for an emergency? When I was a little kid, my family was on food stamps for about a year, and I think a lot of other factors weigh in on what happens to you when you have to be on them.

Utah has a claim to fame other than Mormons and The Osmonds. It's fry sauce. The pinkish concoction has been around for more than 50 years and is the states condiment of choice for French fries.

The stuff is so popular at home and in fast-food spots that there was a fry sauce pin made for the 2002 Olympics. The basic recipe for fry sauce is simple: one part ketchup to two parts mayonnaise. Of course there are numerous variations on the coral-colored condiment. Some restaurants add salt, spices, garlic, relish, horseradish and even pickle juice.

As with many flavors that have captured the public's palate, there's a secret recipe. Gary Roberts, president of Arctic Circle restaurants, which claims to have invented fry sauce in 1948, keeps his fry sauce formula in a safe.

Utah, however, no longer leads the country in fry sauce consumption. Washington and Oregon now consume more of the stuff than the state where it originated. Go figure.

Would you say that you love donuts? Even if your answer is "yes" and the employees at your local Dunkin' Donuts have your order ready and waiting for you every morning, you probably don't come close to the donut-love of Blognut. Not only does he blog about doughnuts, but actually took a trip across the country, from New York to Portland, OR, to get his wedding vows (with his wife, not a donut) renewed at Voodoo Doughnuts, one of the best donut shops in the country. And not only did he trek out to Voodoo, he blogged the whole experience - including what seems to be every donut on their menu. He and his wife visited Voodoo at least 5 times in one weekend, including stopping in three separate times on their last day in the Pacific Northwest. Multiple donuts were consumed each day.

The trip is blogged in five parts (part one, part two, part three, part four, part five) and is a must-read for any donut lover. Or if you just want to see some really great pics of some really unusual donuts (like the giant cat-donut above).

Only a few days after we were told that it was once again safe to eat spinach, the FDA issued a recall on lettuce from the Salinas-based Nunes Co. The recall only applies to lettuce purchased from October 3-6 in seven western states: Oregon, Idaho, Montana,California, Nevada, Washington and Arizona, and "the recalled lettuce was packaged as "Green Leaf 24 Count, waxed carton," and "Green Leaf 18 Count, cellophane sleeve, returnable carton." Packaging is stamped with lot code 6SL0024."

The reason that the lettuce was recalled was due to a concern over a possibly E.coli contamination in the water supply to the fields, although no E.coli has been found in any of the lettuce and no people have reported illness. The owner of the family-run company says that they have strict safety protocols, which were strengthened when the "spinach scare" broke out.

At this point, all lettuce covered by the recall should be off shelves, but it could be a good idea to check the bags in your fridge just in case.

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A fabulous service offered in the metro areas of both Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA, is called Organics to You. The food service began in 2001 in Portland, but due to the high demand of quality fruits and vegetables and the competitive prices of the merchandise, it quickly expanded North to Vancouver. Organics to You uses local farmers who are dedicated to growing food in the nurturing environment of chemical and pesticide free soils. Not only is the company committed to pure foods, it is also devoted to the environment and local communities in numerous ways. The trucks used for deliveries are currently being converted to bio-diesel engines, incentives are offered to members who also convert to green power for their own transportation. Local schools benefit from donations of the organic fruits and vegetables, as well as community fundraising and social events.

The service is user friendly and easy to begin. By signing up on-line a customer can choose from various bin sizes that suit their needs. Bins range in prices from $23 to $52 depending on individual needs. The company provides the bin and delivers it each week straight from the farm. Contents can be customized for specific tastes and the size can change depending upon customer request. A small variety of other organic items, such as milk, eggs and cheese, can be delivered as well. This is a wonderful way for customers to enjoy clean food while the farmers benefit from working with a small company that is interested in encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

One of the pastry classes at the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute took on a big task this year. They learned how to recreate preservative-laden childhood favorites without using the preservatives or the machines that are typically used to engineer candies like gummy worms, Zingers and lollipops. And then they made them giant.

At their final exhibition, there were cupcakes and candies that would have fit in perfectly at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Perhaps the most impressive was the creation made by Brandon Finley: a giant tootsie pop. Pictured here, the lollipop weighed more than 40 pounds and used a 24-inch french rolling pin as a "stick." The chocolate tootsie center weighed about 15 pounds alone. Finley said that he had planned to make the confection larger, but the school actually ran out of sugar after the other students finished their projects and Finley used more that 25 pounds of it in his.

I wonder how many licks it took to get to the center of that pop.

[Image The Worldlink]