Every Step of the Way

One of the most defining qualities of the Portland food scene is overlooked by almost everyone in the community except the farmer. That is the proximity of surrounding farmlands to the city markets and restaurants they supply. There are few cities that enjoy such a short drive into town with a van full of fragile, often highly perishable produce. 

One of my primary suppliers drives in from Canby, Oregon, a mere 30 miles from the restaurant in downtown Portland. Sheldon and his wife Carole keep about 12 acres of land productive for 11 months out of the year. His recordkeeping is very thorough, and his planting is carefully planned. One of the most impressive feats of this farm is its efficiency of delivery into the city. Every square foot of the company van is accounted for, with three different dimensions of waxed cardboard boxes tightly arranged according to the delivery route, filling perfectly the 48 inches between the wheel wells. Flats of tomatoes, tomatillos or ground cherries are stacked in the rear, so that all the boxes are secured against tipping and sliding. 

The small farmer has to have a wide skill set. Not just a green thumb, but able to fix machinery,  balance an uneven cash flow, organize their planting and crop rotation, and maximize their delivery space for the trek into the city. It's inspiring to see it all come together. So, next time you are shopping at the farmers market, remember all the hidden efforts and expenses that have gone into their lovely market stall. 

True and False Morels

Several people have asked me about the "false morels" of spring, what they look like and how they taste. This spring has so far produced some great specimens from all the spring mushrooms, so we can take a look at them. Morchella elata, the black morel is pictured on the left. A delicious mushroom that has many different morchella species, ranging in size and color. They are all edible, and easily identified because the stipe connects to the head at its base. 

Verpa bohemica, the verpa is pictured in the center. It is a false morel which some regard as more delicious than the morel, but others regard as inedible, causing stomach distress and flatulence. It is easily identified by its stipe, which connects to the apex of the head. For this reason, it is sometimes called the "thimblecap morel," because the cap can be easily picked from the base.

Lastly, gyromitra esculenta, sometimes called "calf's brain," for its appearance, or "snow morel," for its ability to grow before the spring snows have melted. The Latin word "esculenta," means edible, and this mushroom is often regarded as delicious in Europe. It does contain a known carcinogen, and some regard it as poisonous. However, the true and false morels are often cooked together and equally regarded by some people. 

The best of them all, in my opinion, is not a spring mushroom at all. The gray morel does not emerge until summer. Morchella tomentosa is the largest and most delicious. It is distinguished from other morels by the small velvety hairlike "fur" that covers it. These mushrooms can grow up to nine inches in height, making them absolutely wonderful for stuffing with a variety of flavorful fillings! In our region, they often come from Mount Adams and the wilderness to the east of Mount Hood. 

Plateware

Opening a restaurant begins a long process of decision making. What kind of tables and chairs shall we have, what kind of oven and refrigeration shall we buy, which computer systems will we use? And of course, what kind of food and service will the restaurant be known for. Raven & Rose intended to draw inspiration from the British Isles, serving rustic yet refined fare that harkens us back to our culinary and colonial ancestry. As a chef, I needed to understand not only what kind of food to serve, but what it would be served on. 

At home, I have a large collection of plates and glasses, especially Japanese plateware. Japanese utsuwa, meaning pottery or vessel, have always been my favorite kind of service ware. There is such a rich and diverse variety of shapes, colors and textures which enhance the pleasure of eating and drinking from them. For many years at Park Kitchen, I enjoyed using them to present all sorts of preparations. For the Raven & Rose project, I definitely needed something with more Anglo-Saxon connotations. 

I have always been a big fan of Heath Ceramics, in Sausalito, California. Their plates were always a leading candidate.  The speckled ceramics popularized by Noma in the Scandinavian countries seems to have sparked a great deal of interest in textured glazes and new shapes. Perhaps that was part of the inspiration for the new Craft Series launched by Steelite, the English plateware company. The moment I saw the catalog for these new plates, I knew this would be the perfect plate for an upscale English farmhouse restaurant. Strangely enough, I have used the Steelite plates alongside many of my Japanese pieces, and there has been a pleasant continuity between them. 

Raven & Rose

Sometimes people ask me how I have time to write stories as a restaurant chef. Usually, I say something like "We find the time for the things we enjoy." It has been some time since I have found the time to write stories, and not that I haven't had plenty to write about. As the executive chef for Park Kitchen, I have taken the team on inspiring tours of Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukee, Oregon, and one of our strongest farmers at Your Kitchen Garden in Canby, Oregon. I travelled to Sweden and Denmark this spring, foraged with the godfather of the Nordic Manifesto revival, and dined at Noma, the best restaurant in the world. I'm bursting at the seams with stories to share with you.

However, I have taken on a new project which has taken up all the time that would otherwise have translated into stories about the millstones at Bob's Red Mill, the inspiring whole grain breads and cheeses from Scandinavia, or the planning that goes into a diversified farm in the Willamette Valley. After eight years at Park Kitchen, I will be leaving to open a new restaurant in downtown Portland. It will be called Raven & Rose, and it will be located in a beautiful restoration of the historic Ladd Carriage House. 

Those of you in the industry know how much work goes into the opening of a restaurant, from ductwork and electrical wiring, equipment purchasing, menu planning and recipe development, hiring and training staff, service contracts and so many other things. Once we get all these things moving together in harmony, I will be able to return to telling stories about the people, places and products that inspire me to be a chef. 

Kitchen Notebooks

Restaurant kitchens are complex work spaces. As seasonal ingredients change, or inspirations bring new dishes to the menu, everyone in the kitchen must learn new techniques, recipes and methods. This information has long been conveyed through the use of pocket sized kitchen notebooks filled with scribbles and drawings of plating directions, the formulas and recipes needed for the next dinner service. You can gather a great deal of information about the cooks themselves by how they organize and reference their notebooks.

As technology becomes faster and more compact, this ancient practice is beginning to give way to ipods, clouds or smartphones tethered to home computer databases, giving the kitchen managers and their staff a virtual up to the minute restaurant cookbook. Will it lead to better cooking, or will the young line cooks just become more dependent on explicit instructions, losing their ability to taste, adjust, and think about the principles of their skill set?

Portland Meat Collective

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Back in January of 2009, talented editor and food writer, Camas Davis lost her job at Portland Monthly magazine. Her quest to find a new relationship with food led her to southwestern France. Through Kate Hill's cooking school, Kitchen at Camont, Camas met Dominique Chapolard and his family, who run an old-fashioned pig farm. They grow their own grain to feed their own pigs, and they slaughter and process their own pork, and sell it directly to their customers at farmers markets. Camas was blown away at this direct relationship between buyer and seller. Where had that gone in the American landscape? And why?

Camas came back to the States determined to find the answers. Her answer came in the form of the Portland Meat Collective. Determined to restore the long-lost, local supply chain, she started at the beginning, with education. By connecting the community consumers with local farmers, she conducts hands-on butchery classes that teach people everything they ever wanted to know about the meat that they eat. A local chef or industry expert conducts the class with Camas as students learn about butchering whole pigs or rabbits, primal cuts of beef, or finishing traditional products like sausages and terrines.

Why are people so interested in knowing more about meat? Are Americans really that sentimental and nostalgic? Are we really that hungry for the raw and the real? The answer seems to be "Absolutely!" When I joined Camas for a whole hog butchery class, the attendees had travelled to Portland from as far away as Denver and Vancouver, British Columbia. Motivated by environmental awareness, health concerns, and simple curiosity about what they eat, people wanted more information. Camas' students range from young professionals and enthusiasts to bold housewives and community activists. It was a pleasure to be surrounded by people who believe passionately that knowledge is power, and there are a growing number of people who want more power in their eating habits.

I made a diagram for the students that would illustrate what we were going to be doing. Of course, there is step by step instruction during the class, but when you are standing over 120 pounds of flesh and skin and bone for the first time, you could be forgiven for not remembering a thing or two. My method of butchery is a combination of French, American and Italian seam butchery. We separated the major muscle groups and I explained the difference in the muscle fibers to the students so they would know the difference between cooking a tenderloin or a tongue, an eye of round or a shoulder.

I know the Portland Meat Collective could only find an audience in a few cities in North America, but I am proud that Portland is one of them. Camas has been very keen to find the breach in the supply chain, and gutsy enough to try and patch it through education and training at many levels. I recommend you support her efforts and find the class that is right for you.

Online Reservations

In an increasingly fast-paced world, more restaurants are beginning to provide online booking systems. Most of the time, this is convenient for both the customer and the restaurant. The restaurant doesn't have to answer the phone as often, and the customer can check on availability without commitment. Park Kitchen uses Open Table, which not only makes online reservations, but also maintains a database about the customer, when is their birthday or anniversary, or whether they have food allergies.

Some of the world's most famous restaurants have customized booking systems with servers that can accomodate high volume. I recently made a reservation at Noma in Copenhagen, which opened its booking for the month of May at a precise date and time, three months in advance. I later learned that in just two hours, over 30,000 people were competing for a mere 1,500 seats over the entire month. In Chicago, Next launched their season tickets last month, including the coveted El Bulli tribute menu. Co-owner Nick Kokonas said that within the first 10 seconds, they had received 1,500 requests for tickets. When they opened the restaurant, they had decided to sell their tickets like a theater or concert venue, with a similar price structure based on peak demand, and now using similar booking technology. Yet another example of merging industries in a world that spins faster each day.