Monthly Archives: August 2012

Adventures in Oregon: Mirror Lake & Hood River

1 Reply

I am a collector (the Here We Go Magic tune has me pinned, I must admit). I am a collector of several things. Owl figurines, vintage tumblers, cookbooks, photographs, cards, beer, magazines, you name it. But that last one, magazines… that has been happening as long as I can remember. I have always been a hoarder of magazines. Up until just a few months ago it had taken me around 2 years to finally sort through my collections of Cooking Light, Rachael Ray, Sunset, Ready Made, Bon Appetit, Vegetarian Times, Martha Stewart, Country Living… um, yeah, I’ll stop there before I completely embarrass myself. There are some issues that I can never get rid of, namely those produced in the October months (it’s an Autumn thing, y’know). And Sunset… those are nearly impossible to trash. With constant ideas for day or weekend trips in and around the Portland and Oregon areas, I kept them filed old school Pinterest style.

I want to explore. I want to have adventures. I want to experience all that Oregon has to offer. The mountains, the trees, the dirt, the coastal ranges, the fog, the rain, the secret beaches, the small towns, the fresh seafood, the locally crafted draft beer, the lakes, the views, the parks… so I’m going to do it.

It’s timely that Sunset’s September issue just came out with a feature about exploring the coast of Oregon, Bandon in particular. It’s a great place to start off with ideas. Here is also a great archive to refer to. Some day I will get around to all of these wondrous places they seem to boast about.

And with that, here is adventure #1 of many to come. Hopefully you’ll stash away a few ideas for your own getaways, too!

Boyfriend took the reigns on this one. It was his wonderful idea to take a weekend trip to Hood River, stopping off mid-way along 26 east to take a little hike and picnic to Mirror Lake. We toyed around with the idea of just going up for the day, or spending the night in a private hostel across the river in White Salmon, WA. We booked the room for a night.

We started off with a hearty meal at Burgerville. Breakfast sausage sandwiches, hash browns, and protein smoothies. 6 bucks bought us satisfying classic fast food breakfast that we didn’t feel too guilty about.

We hopped on the road toward Sandy, OR through cute little logging and farm towns full of Christmas trees (we must have passed at least 5!) like Zig-Zag, Rhododendron, and Welches, lastly landing in Government Camp. The Mirror Lake trailhead caught my attention with the line of parked cars along the highway. It was the most ideal gorgeous day to go for a hike. It couldn’t have been better.

Doing our research, we found that the elevation gain was only about 800 feet. But we didn’t factor in our trek from Portland. Add another 2,000 to that. Within 15 minutes or so of hitting the trail, slight altitude sickness hit us. I felt a little fatigued and light headed, but I thought that maybe I was getting low blood sugar. He, on the other hand, had it worse than I did. We had to stop a few times and take it easy, almost considering turning around. But we kept going, water in hand. Maybe it was something in the air?

When we finally made it to the lake about 1.5 miles later, we felt fine. The breathtaking view of Mt. Hood easily took our minds off any discomforts we were experiencing. We set up our picnic lunch of Cubano wraps, grapes and sparkling water and watched kids and dogs take dips in the chilly water. A few mini crawfish were even spotted.

Once we got back to the car, we foraged ahead another hour to Hood River. Hood River, located on the Columbia River of the Gorge, is known for it’s excellent windsurfing and kiteboarding opportunities. Skiing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and more are available for outdoor enthusiasts. It’s filled with lovely historical homes and buildings on steep sloped streets, a quaint and charming downtown area with little boutiques and restaurants, not to mention a plethora of wine tasting bars. It was over 90 when we got there, so we tried to avoid the sun as much as possible. We ducked into a few shops, had a bit of ice cream, making our way over to Double Mountain Brewery. The heat was getting to us, so a little pizza ‘n beer pick me up was in order.

The waitress was kind enough to bring me samples of a few beers I was curious to try. I can’t even really remember what I had, I just remember not liking anything. I hate to be so harsh, but all three I sampled were terrible. I mean, I know I can be a beer snob, but I thought this was a place where beer snobs went. Oh well, I guess I just don’t “get it”, which is fine with me. I’ll go back to my newly discovered favorite cheap Trader Joe’s bohemian lager any day.  The seasonal sour cherry beer tasted like acidic vomit (sorry, but it’s true). The brick oven pizza crust was my favorite thing there. We had “The Buffy” (goat cheese, kalamatas, peppadew peppers, and basil), but the sweet and spicy peppers were not doing any favors as I was already in a sweat. Oh well, sometimes you just strike out. Next time we’ll go to Full Sail!

We stopped into a pinball pizza arcade, but it wasn’t exactly what we were hoping for, so we hopped in the car to drive across a janky toll bridge over to White Salmon to check out our hostel (even though it was too early to check-in). It took us approximately 10 minutes to drive around the entire town. At that point, we were tired and over it. We called the hostel and cancelled our reservation as we couldn’t imagine what we would have done on Sunday if we stayed, and we’re glad we made that decision. At least we were prepared! And now know what all the “fuss” is about.

This weekend we’re going camping at Kingfisher. Stay tuned!

The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Need

7 Replies

Some things in life don’t have to be very complicated or intricate to be good. This chocolate chip cookie recipe taught me that lesson.

It’s so basic, yet so amazing. I can guarantee you probably have every ingredient in your fridge or pantry to make these right now. A bit of flour, brown sugar (shh! it’s the secret!), good quality chocolate, butter, eggs… you know the rest.

Really, I don’t have much to say other than that this is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe of all time. Yes, you heard me right. ALL TIME.

Soft, chewy, decadent cookie-dough like goodness.

MAKE THEM. I ORDER YOU.

See, even boyfriend is eating the COOKIE DOUGH.

You know they gotta be good.

Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

AKA The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Makes about 24-28 cookies

From Sunset Magazine, November 2003

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups Guittard semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using.

3. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon (1/8-cup) portions, 2 inches apart, onto buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 400° oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center (break one open to check), 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

5. With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Truffled Walnut Pesto

2 Replies

Garlic and I don’t get along. You see, I like it, but it doesn’t like me. I’ve always loved the flavor, don’t get me wrong, but indigestion, headache, and sweet tooth syndrome (yeah, it totally has to be a thing) seem to develop after eating this Allium sativum. Not only that, I absolutely hate having garlic breath all night long/the next 24 hours. No Euthymol or tongue scraper can get rid of that. Also, I had begun to notice the last year or so that every time I had to chop fresh garlic, I’d have garlic fingers for several days after. Like, I could smell the scent of garlic in the pores of my fingertips for literally 4-5 days after. And it makes me nauseous. See, we gots problems.

But not to fear. That doesn’t mean that I will go without having garlic in my pesto. That is one thing I will not sacrifice. Garlic breath and fingers aside, I have found two ways around this: 1. purchasing already pre-crushed garlic in the jar (I like Trader Joes’), or 2. ask boyfriend to chop it up for you. Method number 2 seemed to work for this recipe quite well.

I hope that none of you have this problem. I hope you and garlic get along just fine. Less for me, more for you!

That aside, this is, by far, the best homemade pesto I have ever made. I hardly ever make it, but I bought a whole package of basil last week for juicing recipes, and had a ton left. I also received a huge package of homegrown walnuts from my grandmother’s farm a few days ago. So that’s when the two pieces of the puzzle came together. But then, on top of that, I thought a little pinch of truffle salt be a nice touch. And it surely was.

This recipe is dedicated to both of my (living) grandmothers, on both sides. If it weren’t for either of them, I wouldn’t have been able to make this. Grandma #1 supplied the homegrown walnuts, and grandma #2 supplied my new 7-cup Cuisinart (I’m not sure how I survived so long with a 3-cup one, but I somehow managed!).

Thank you, grandmas. I have the best grandmas in the universe.

Truffled Walnut Pesto

Makes about 3/4-1 cup of pesto

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup walnut halves
  • 1 cup basil leaves, packed tightly
  • 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, packed tightly
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup shredded or grated grana padano
  • 1/2 lemon, squeezed (about 1 Tbsp.)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • black truffle sea salt, to taste (I bought mine here)

Directions:

  1. Place walnut halves in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
  2. Add in basil, spinach leaves, and garlic. Pulse until well incorporated.
  3. Add in lemon juice and grana padano.
  4. With the lid on and motor running, steam in olive oil.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. Mix with your favorite pasta or whatever!

Rosemary Apricot Bars

1 Reply

I’m a California girl. Well, at least I was. I’m slowly getting used to the way things run around here. I don’t mind being converted into an Oregon girl, it’s just a bit different. Different customs and regulations. I’m not used to someone else pumping my own gas. You see, I feel like half of the reason to go and get gas is to get out of the car, get some fresh air, stretch your legs for a little bit. But no. Oregon doesn’t let you do that (well, I’m sure you have the freedom to get out of your car, but as far as the gas goes, it’s the law.) It’s weird, I tell you. Another thing I’m definitely not used to is having to drive specifically to a liquor store to buy liquor. You can’t just waltz into a Safeway or Fred Meyer and pick out a bottle of Jack Daniels. Coming from working at a grocery store that had the entire store lined with wine, beer, and booze right behind the register, it’s taking some adjusting to. You have to hunt down one of the (few) liquor stores around here, even if you just want a little mini bottle of brandy to put in your baking recipe.

That’s what I had to do for this. Oh, the sacrifices…

I’ll tell you what I do like though. NO TAX. Yeah, I’m sure I’ll end up paying for it someday, somehow, but in the meantime, I must admit it’s quite refreshing. I’m adjusting to that quite nicely.

Anyhow, I don’t know about you, but rosemary makes my dreams come true. Especially if apricots stewed in white wine, brandy, and honey are involved in the mix. Add some butter and flour to make a shortbread, and basically this is what you get.

I hope I’ve convinced you already.

Unfortunately for some reason these bars turned out a bit too dry for me. I think I put them under the broiler to crisp up a bit too long (you’ll see around the last few steps). They didn’t resemble the color and moistness this photo demonstrates, but that’s ok. They were still delicious. The apricot filling was delectable. If I make this again, I will definitely put a bit more rosemary in the shortbread dough. I could taste it, but it was a bit too subtle for my liking. Like I said, I adore rosemary, and I love the flavor to really shine through. Trials and errors in baking, it’s oh so much fun!

Rosemary Apricot Bars

Recipe from Savory Simple

Makes about 9-12 large sized bars

 For the rosemary dough:

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

For the apricot filling:

  • 2 cups dried apricots
  • 3/4 cups white wine
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (omit if using California dried apricots)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • pinch of salt

For the crumb topping:

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Method!

  1. Grease the inside of  a 9×9 inch pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides of the pan (I didn’t do this, and that may have been my problem).
  2. To make the rosemary shortbread, cream the butter, powdered sugar and salt in a stand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and rosemary, then lower the speed and gradually add the flour until the dough is smooth.
  3. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.  Take some time to do this nicely so your layers are beautiful and clean.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  5. Bake the shortbread for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
  6. Make the apricot filling by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Allow to cool and then puree in a food processor until smooth.
  7. Make the crumb topping by combining all ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until the mixture is just combined and crumbly.  Don’t over-mix, you want texture.
  8. Spread the apricot paste evenly on top of the shortbread.  Make sure it’s level!
  9. Sprinkle on the topping evenly and gently press it into place.  Again, make sure it’s level; when you cut the bars you want three even levels.
  10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the topping is brown.  I turned on the broiler for a couple minutes at the end to get the top extra crunchy.  If you do this, watch carefully to avoid burning.
  11. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.