We decided to get out of town for a little bit last weekend and drove out to the Oregon coast. By absolute luck of the draw, it was sunny out there! And gorgeous. Just what we needed to re-energize and feed the soul.

We started in a town called Florence, where there are sand dunes a mile wide and 40 miles long. It was pretty spectacular. Staying over night there, we had a chance to hang out in the little downtown–basically eating our way through it. We stopped at the Waterfront Depot, once an old train station depot converted into a cozy little bar and ristaurante that sits right on the water. We had two different types of cheese plates and some drinks. We then sauntered down to Kelly’s Cantina, had some tapas that were excellent, and then finished the night off with dessert at a very cute spot called Feast.

When it comes to night time food photography, I find myself in quite the conundrum. Seriously. It can look really bad! Natural lighting is so key for good photos! This is why I don’t have pictures of my eating excursions through Florence. I also rarely take photos of food that I have not made–not because it isn’t good, but because making the food is part of the whole process of blogging for me. Actually, it’s not only the making, but the doing that is important because doing something good for me is just as energizing and wonderful as making or eating something I love. That’s why I’m showing you a feast for your eyes by way of coastal treasures. Sometimes we just have to eat for our souls, and getting to visit gorgeous spots like this is an excellent way to do it.

(Over 400 sea lions in the Sea Lion Cave!)

(Real starfish in a tidal pool)

I did, however, take a photo of a ginger cookie I got at a Cheese Shop and Bakery in Yachats (pronounced YA-HAW-TS). What a perfect combination, at least in my book! Specialty cheese and baked things? In one place? Yes, please! I held that cookie in my hand for a good 30 minutes before we found a nice beach spot to eat our snacks. Why did I do this? To take a photo of it. And it was torture! I had a nibble of one at the shop. The cookie I bought was beckoning me with it’s gingery goodness, to bite into it’s soft little body the whole way. Not to mention the ginger taste still lingering in my mouth, calling out for more. Sometimes photoing your food can just not be worth the trouble. Like when it’s getting cold, stale, or hard (but alas, even under those circumstances it still happens quite a bit. It just comes with the territory of food blogging!) But sometimes, it can be worth it. Like when you know the sugar crystals from a cookie will shimmer like the sand and it’s spicy orangeness will be a perfect compliment to the azure sky background. It tasted like a ginger cookie I make. The ginger heat was heightened the salty air that clings to and covers your hair, skin, and lips. It was like a mirror to the suns energy, sending it directly into my body via this little sweet morsel. It was a great beach snack for a blustery, sunny day.

Cheers!

Hello dear readers! You may have noticed that my blog is going through a bit of a transition. I’m migrating from a blogger to a wordpress site so I can do more with the design, integrate pages, and give you all even more here at Eating Is Art! I am really excited about it. So if you notice a few wonky things here for the next day or two, I apologize for the inconvenience. Just know it is on it’s way to becoming a better site for us all!

It came out fragrant and golden–with three large humps (I didn’t thaw the berries before I put them in there and the raspberries were in huge clumps pre-baking). The juice was ruby red, alluring and lemony-tart. The subtle sweetness of the brown sugar seemed to be an after taste, bringing out the full flavor of the berries–my favorite. If you have berries left over from last summer, or if you find yourself in the frozen isle at the grocery and pick some up, I would recommend making a pie. It is such a treat during the winter! I can’t help myself but to dig my fork into the entire thing during the afternoon or late at night–nibble nibble .

ps-Recently, I’ve been working on an updated version of Eating Is Art . I hope to have it up and running in a few days!

Berry Pie

Filling:
3 cups berries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, sliced down the center with seeds scraped out into the pie and then whole bean placed in pie for baking

Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup earth balance
1 tablespoon apple cidar vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon ice cold water

Combine flour, butter, earth balance, salt, and vinegar. Mash together with your hands until butter is incorporated in chunks with the flour. Add the water and continue mixing with your hands until a big clump forms. Split into fourths and roll each out (2 for pie bottoms and 2 for pie tops). Line the bottom of the pan, fill with berries, sugar, and vanilla bean/seeds and then place the top dough on. Cut around the edges for any extra hanging off, and then pinch around the sides with your thumbs to seal it. Make some little slits in the top for air vents. Place in a preheated oven of 400 degrees F and bake for 45 mins-1 hour.

Enjoy!

Snacks have been a very important part of my day lately. I mean, they’ve always held a special place, but for some reason I’ve become a little more discerning about what I want to eat as a mid-afternoon snack. Today, I had some amazing maple-sweetened pecans and dried cherries. I have also gotten in the habit of brewing my own tisane in the afternoon using various spices, herbs, or roots I have around. My favorite is a ginger-maple tisane– simply boil some water, peel and slice several pieces of fresh ginger root, and add about a tablespoon of real maple syrup to your pot, let steep for a few minutes and serve. The longer you let it steep, the spicier your tea will be–which I love. I also do this in the morning, but also add black tea–it’s a wonderful way to wake up to these gray days!

Here’s to spring!

Simple Maple Pecans, via Chelsea

A few handfuls of pecans
Several tablespoons of real maple syrup

In a medium cast iron pan (or any heavy frying pan), place the maple syrup and pecans on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir until the maple crystallizes on the pecans, leaving a whitish cast on them. They will look sugar coated . Enjoy slightly warm!

(guests enjoying the warm atmosphere)

I’ve written about Dovetail before–as Lauren, a baker at Dovetail, was the brains behind baking the big bread for my Bread Friend Map series. Dovetail specializes in vegan baked goods–no butter and no eggs in any of their goodies. I have a love/hate with vegan baked goods–I mean, butter and eggs are a HUGE part of baking! Right? Maybe?… Dovetail Bakery is the sole reason I embrace vegan baking as an honest-to-goodness ally in the world of baking. Somehow, these ladies have discovered the magic way around these “necessary” ingredients making their treats taste light, fluffy, crumbly, or however it should taste.

The true test? If you went in there and didn’t know it was vegan, you’d walk out still not knowing it was vegan because their treats are truly incredible. They are well known for their famous sticky buns. But be sure to try the Pear-Cardamon Muffin or Lemon Blueberry (with real big fresh blueberries) scone (they both come in a hard tie for my favorites there)– you may find yourself unable to stop sampling. If you do find yourself in this position don’t worry. Just take a deep breath and ask to take the rest “to go.” You won’t be disappointed!

You can also read each individual story, see their pizza’s ingredients, and the end resulting pizza on their site as well. What a great time!

I like to prepare my body for the changes in the season by reflecting what is happening outside, on the inside. I do this with specific things in season like squash, apples, and hearty peasant breads. I’m even opening myself up to seasonal meats (per request of Andrew) to be incorporated. It’s not that I don’t eat meat, because I do. It’s just that I am a bit of a wussy when it comes to touching/handling/dealing with raw meat. And he’s helping out in this endeavor by offering to cook the meals with meat in them, when we do eat meat. Yes, please! This made me one happy lady .

Last week, I was invited to lecture for a class about Eating Design and healthy eating. I was excited to talk about the avenues of thought which I use when it comes to food and health and excited to hear what their views were as well. I proposed to them something called the Simple Kitchen Experiment, an optional thing they could try if they were really looking to find a personal and intuitive understanding of their relationship with food. Here’s what we did:
For a week, keep a list of all the foods you really like and don’t like. They can be anything you put in your body from sprinkles, to kale, to gin and tonics. Anything that you like to eat, put it down. In a column next to it, write down all the food you don’t like too. Then write one word to describe why you like/don’t like that particular food. Is it purely flavor? Or maybe it’s the texture? The temperature? Whatever it may be, it’s your own personal like/dislike, so write it down. If you are feeling extra adventurous, have another column for foods you’ve heard about and may be interested in trying. Then the second week, try taking 3-5 of the foods you do like from your list of “likes” and create a new dish from it. I emphasized keeping the main ingredients simple and fewer than five (sans things like olive oil or salt) so that you can taste what you are eating, literally. It is easier to discern this way, and harder (I think) to cook like this (because “more is better” prevails in our eating/cooking habits I’ve found, myself included!). Be creative and think about why pairing these flavors or textures would work well for you. Write about if it worked or didn’t work. Also write down three words that would describe your day prior to cooking. After a week, you might get a good idea about how you eat, why you eat, and what you eat. It is a way to look holistically at you and food without it getting too touchy feely. It is more like record keeping. Plus, you would be surprised with some of the recipes you come up with! There’s always the bomb experiment or two, where it is just not how you thought it would be, but if there are one or even two recipes that are amazing, I’d say it was worth it.

I made this butternut squash galette for the class. We had a potluck after the talk and I was looking to bring something that was seasonal, had simple ingredients, and was beautiful. Thank you Ms. Pleasant for bringing this recipe to my attention via the lovely Debora Madison and her Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone! This galette was amazing and bursting with the fall flavor of butternut squash. The sage was a beautiful compliment to the fallish flavor of the squash and onions. It was so good, and relatively simple to make too. Don’t let the yeasted galette dough intimidate you, it is well worth the 45 minutes of rising time to make it. Plus, it is beautiful to look at. Sometimes, it is really nice to bring something to the table that not only tastes wonderful, but looks really lovely too. I hope you get a chance to try it!

This particular story resonated with me as the young woman was an architect and has now started her own baking company. Before I started Eating Design, I was an urban planner. I loved the community aspect to what I did, working with lots of different people from all different backgrounds, even different countries. However, I was frustrated with the lack of effective communication to diverse audiences with totally different cultural, economic, education, and language backgrounds. And despite these differences they all came to the community meetings with the same goals in mind: bettering their communities for their children and themselves. So how could I bridge this gap? At first, I thought graphic design, so that is why I went back to school for an MFA. But during my time in school, I found my time in the kitchen more fulfilling than my time in the studio–how could I then bridge that gap? Thus, Eating Design was born. But enough about me, here is a sneak peak at Pietopia winner Sabrina Miller’s essay:

unemployment may be {a} tart {cranberry,} but starting a new business is sweet {apple pie}

The ingredients in my pie are both tart and sweet . . . similar to the recent events in my life . . . and when combined, the result is unexpectedly sublime (and a force to be reckoned with, according to my husband)! After completing a graduate degree in architecture two years ago, I found my first job in the field rather quickly. As the recession started to come on full steam this past winter, the design community was being hit hard and I began to wonder what I might do if I was laid off. I decided to pursue a long-time hobby, that of baking, and start a small business. In February I was laid off from a local architecture firm, due to a reduction in work, and I devoted my full attention to my new venture. I have selected this cranberry apple pie as it resembles my life as I look to create something enjoyable from these rough times and move forward. Cranberries can test a baker’s skills when making dessert due to their tartness. They often pose a challenge and adjustments need to be made when they are incorporated. Unemployment can threaten one’s stability and hopes for the future. It too causes a need for adjustment, but its incorporation may also make way for new beginnings. Just as a baker may struggle to incorporate cranberries in their dish, I am taking my unemployment as a new beginning, a challenge I can and will face. As the cranberries gave me an opportunity to make my apple pie unique, my unemployment is giving me an opportunity to bring happiness to people through my baked goods. I look forward to the sweet future in my baking business just as I hope others enjoy the sweetness in my pie!

While reading this, I couldn’t help but find a little bit of myself in her story–adjustment, new beginnings, a little bit of fear, and of course comfort in baking. The design came to me during the many hours of driving last weekend home from Yellowstone–but it came fairly quickly. It was the words that came quickly; and I love the beauty of using real objects (the cranberries in this case) translated through a silk-screen print.

I decided to hold off making Sabrina’s pie. I wanted a virgin tasting of her life via her hands in her pie, I am looking forward to trying it at the event. Instead, I made a Vanilla Cranberry Coffee Cake that is any vanilla lovers dream come true. It calls for vanilla sugar to be crumbled on top and used in the center, plus more vanilla for the cake. I used real vanilla bean instead of extract and it was simply amazing. You can use any fruit you wanted really, I am going to use this cake base for many others: blueberry, apple, raspberry, cherry, the list could go on and on!

Vanilla Cranberry Coffee Cake, via Gourmet

And (since summer is in our midst!) we picked blueberries this weekend, more on that to come . Cheers!

I thought I’d tell you about a few that I’ve visited recently: The #1 Bento Korean BBQ and Savor. The Korean BBQ place was fantastic! Simply out of this world. It is run by a Korean family with not much English under their belts yet and their food made me forget where I was for a moment. They have traditional dishes like Bi-bim-bop and kimchee on their menu along with more traditional things like chicken and beef. I got the grilled tofu with a side of kimchee and paper-rice noodles. It was a good choice. They also have a tiny seating area which is nice, shaded under some trees and blocked off from street traffic by a big bush, it is cozy! Only a few feet away is one of the Korean women making lunches by the breeze in the doorway of her cart.

(#1 Bento Korean BBQ’s window)

Today, I visited Savor with a friend. It is one of her favorite carts with a great selection of fantastic homemade sandwhiches and soups. I got a lovely little caprese sandwhich on a ciabatta roll and she got an amazing BLT. We were both pretty happy with our meals. I just wanted to share this food cart extravaganza with you, may there be many more! And if you find yourself here in Portland (or live here) give (especially the Korean BBQ place, 10th and Alder SW) these places a try, you won’t regret your cart experience!

(Savor’s window)