Brunch @ Bar Carlo on Foster

"Specials" Board

Not too long ago Rob and I were trying to decide where to go for brunch, and I realized I hadn't written about Bar Carlo yet.  I discovered it late last year when trying to find a nice brunch place to go for a big family gathering (including my parents, siblings, their families, mine, you get the picture).  I walked in to check the joint out and peep their menu.  I quickly came to the conclusion that it was a bit too small for such a large party, but was intrigued by the place's menu, vibe, and the fact that they have both a piano and a movie theater/screening area.

Since then, I've frequented Bar Carlo for brunch on several occasions, and have never been disappointed.  First off, they have a lovely bar and I have been known to enjoy either a bloody mary or a mimosa with a lazy weekend brunch.  What I really appreciate about this place are the daily specials.  Delicious savory/sweet crepes, for example, are nowhere on the menu, but can often be found on the "specials" board.  So the other day, we headed over there and I made Rob promise to remind me to take pictures of the food before digging in.

First I ordered a mimosa.  Though it doesn't look as elegant as one that's served in a flute, Bar Carlo's OJ mimosa is not for the faint-hearted.  It is not only generous portion-wise, but also extremely champagney if you know what I mean.

We decided to order the Breakfast Carnitas plate and the (special) Savory Crepes.  Let me start with the Carnitas plate.  Piled on the plate were 2 eggs, Bar Carlo's take on Mexican rice, black beans, carnitas with salsa verde, fresh pico de gallo and warm corn tortillas.  The highlights of the dish were the carnitas and the black beans.  The carnitas were saucy and flavorful, and the beans had both an intriguing taste and texture (like a cross between whole and refried).  The beans truly knocked my socks off, and the pico de gallo provided the perfect cool and fresh balance to the entire meal.  (It may not sound like it, but I only ate half).

Now, in my opinion, the crepes at Bar Carlo are always perfect in texture, and perfectly artistic in content.  The ones we ordered this time had well-cooked proscuitto, roasted red onion, spinach and Swiss cheese.  They were covered in a swiss cheese cream sauce that exuded a hint of white wine.  The combination resulted in a salty, creamy, fresh and fulfilling experience.  I would order these every day.  And at $10.50 a pop, I could.

Portland's 59th Annual Greek Festival

First: an apology to my readers.  It's been a while since I've had a chance to post.  I know it's cliche, but I've been super-busy, and unfortunately not only with cooking and eating alone.  We do have some catching up to do.....I need to tell you about:

• Tamales & Fish Tacos at Por Que No?
• My new food processor and resulting rustic fruit pies
• Brunch at Bar Carlo on Foster

BUT......since Greek Festival was this past weekend, I feel it's important to get this out so that you'll feel compelled to set a calendar reminder for yourself for fall of 2011.  (Our friend Matt was chuckling about this sign - I thought some of you might get a kick out of it...)

Portland's 59th annual Greek Festival took place October 1, 2 and 3 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral on NE Glisan and 31st(ish).  Luckily, on Saturday morning Matt & Juanita told/reminded us that it was going on.  We'd been there two years ago, but it sort of fell off my radar.  We arrived just in time to witness a traditional Greek dance/celebration.  We then made our way over to buy some talents to trade in for the divine-smelling delicacies.

Our strategy at the festival was to try as many different things as possible, sharing everything with the kids.  Below is a rundown of what we tasted.

1. Souvlaki

Souvlaki, sometimes referred to as "the hamburger of Greece" consists of spiced, marinated meat on a stick grilled over an open flame.  The most common type of meat used for Souvlaki is lamb, though both chicken and pork are used as well.  I believe the one I tasted at the Greek festival yesterday was chicken and it was perfectly spiced and a bit lemony (which I LOVE), but was unfortunately a bit cold and dry by the time I got to it.  Sadly, I was not heartbroken that we'd only gotten one.

2. Greek Sausage

The Greek sausage, on the other hand, was juicy beyond belief.  It was so flavorful, that it reminded me of the Argentine sausages that are served up on French rolls out of food carts all over Buenos Aires.  The similarity was in the flavor and saltiness - the difference was that the Greek sausage seemed to contain a hint of nutmeg that added a layer of calculated complexity.

3. Pastitsio

Let me start off by saying that my kids adored the pastitisio.  To them, it was a cross between lasagna and "mac n' cheese."  Macaroni, spiced beef, creamy bechamel and cheese come together to create a scrumptious yet exotic Greek comfort food.  The exoticness (at least in my opinion) comes from flavors like cinnamon and allspice thrown into a context that is so unexpected (unless you are Greek of course).

4. Gyro

This is always a favorite.  I have had gyros all over the U.S. good and bad.  The gyros served at the Greek festival were delicious and authentic.  The pita was soft and warm.  The tzatziki sauce was neither too thick nor too thin.  The meat was tender and juicy.  The chopped tomatoes and onions offered the perfect fresh balance.  My son devoured an entire one and was begging for more.  Rob ended up going back for another one so we could share it.

5. Loukoumades

Now this is the sweet stuff.  Juanita recommended these on Saturday morning and then mentioned them again Sunday evening when we ran into her at the festival.  Of course we sought them out.  Loukoumades are like tiny little doughnuts, drenched in aromatic honey and dusted with cinnamon.  They absolutely melt in your mouth.  When you pop one in your mouth that has soaked up more of honey than others, you feel like God is smiling at you.  As I learned last night with leftovers, however, these are best enjoyed hot.

Plum Harvest: Peruvian Chicken with Plums & a Tasty Tart

We've been living in our rental house in Southeast Portland since the end of October last year, and realized just a couple of weeks ago that there are two plum trees in our front yard.  To our delight, we found out right in the middle of the sweet sweet ripening season.  Day after day I've been sending the kids out to pick the juicy little treasures.  First, my youngest to gather from the lower branches, then my boy to get whatever he could reach, and finally, my 10 year old (who is almost taller than me) to reap the fruits from as high as she could reach.

With such an abundance of plums, I figured I'd better find some interesting things to do with some of them.  First off, I tried to figure out what variety they are, but had no luck.  The fruit is oblong, dark purplish-burgundy in color on the outside and golden yellow on the inside.  The pit is easily removed when the plum is halved.  Maybe somebody can comment and advise on the type?

Anyhow, I started by making plum jam, which was pretty easy and tasty on toast and pancakes.  This was a no-brainer, and I made enough that I could use some in other recipes.  What I really wanted to find, however, was a way to incorporate plums into a savory dish. I searched high and low for recipes containing "chicken and plums" and found Peruvian Chicken with Plums to be the most interesting.  Of course, I made some substitutions and modified the recipe to my own taste/pantry but you can Google it if you want the popular version (it's pretty much the same on all sites that feature it).

Peruvian Chicken with Plums


1 tbsp olive oil
6-8 chicken thighs - skin removed
salt & garlic pepper to taste
1 small diced onion
2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 tsp turmeric (original recipe calls for saffron)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 bay leaf
8 small plums, halved and pitted
4 cups of cooked rice (recipe calls for brown, I used Jasmine)

First I sprinkled the chicken with sea salt and garlic pepper.  I heated the oil over medium-high heat and then browned the chicken pieces on both sides (about 4 minutes per side). Next I added the onion and sauteed for about two minutes before adding the peppers and garlic.  I sauteed everything for another two minutes, and then added the tomato, turmeric, chicken broth and bay leaf. This is where you turn the heat up and bring the whole pot to a boil. Next, I covered the pot, turned the heat down to medium and simmered for about 10 minutes.  Next, I added the plums and cooked for about 5 minutes before stirring in the rice.

The end result was divine.  It was reminiscent of a Cuban Arroz-con-Pollo but with a unique flavor and that sweet plum flavor to provide a surprising contrast.  Divine.  Seriously.

Then, on to dessert.


Simple Plum Tart

1 stick of butter, softened to room temp
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of flour
6-8 small plums sliced into thin wedges
3 tbsp plum jam

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then cream butter and sugar together with a whisk.  Slowly add in the flour and continue to whisk together until only your hands will do to integrate the mixture.  Roll the dough out with your hands onto the counter (or on a cutting board) and form the shape of a large cookie.  Carefully peel the "cookie" off the counter and place onto a greased (or sprayed with cooking spray) pie tin or cookie sheet.  Next, arrange the plum slices in a spiral shape starting in the center of the dough and outward, leaving about an in to an inch and a half of dough uncovered.  Fold in the inch of uncovered dough over the outer edge of plum slices.  Then spoon plum jam over the slices of plums to cover them evenly.  Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, keeping an eye on the color of the crust.

Learning Garden Harvest Party

Through a day camp my kids attended this summer, they were invited to participate in a Harvest Party (and pizza party!) at the Learning Garden.  For those of you who aren't familiar, Portland State University sponsors the Learning Garden Laboratory, which is "a 12-acre garden education site located in Southeast Portland that provides K-12, university students and community members hands-on and place-based education in sustainable gardening, healthy nutrition, and permaculture." (from PSU's Web site) The Learning Garden is a partnership between Portland State University, Portland Public Schools, Portland Parks and Recreation, and Oregon State University Extension Service.

The garden itself is beautiful, with a healthy multitude of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers growing in lovely rows as far as the eye can see. When we arrived, someone explained how the harvest party was going to work.  We would help harvest some veggies, herbs or fruit, then bring it over to be weighed/recorded.  After that, everything would go on one of two large tables, so that everyone could take some of the bounty home at the end.  We were put right to work harvesting green beans and yellow wax beans from 6-foot-tall stalks.  My brother-in-law and nephews joined us, and we had a wonderful time picking the beans - the adults taking the high ones and the kids the ones closer to the ground.  We must have harvested about 7 pounds between all of us!

 After that, we took a break and enjoyed some fresh homemade mini pizzas (topped with Learning Garden veggies and basil and grilled right outdoors)!  And to think, after all the fun we'd had all morning long (not to mention the free and delicious lunch) we STILL got to take home as many fresh, organic goodies as we wanted........what a bargain!  I did find out that the Learning Garden harvests at least twice a week (including Saturdays) and welcomes volunteers to help with that process.  In return, helpers get to take some goodies home.  Yeah, we'll be back.

What we took home:

• Spaghetti squash
• Green beans
• Yellow wax beans
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red onion
• Sweet basil
• Thai basil
• Purple ruffle basil
• Garlic
• Lavender
• Dahlias

Organics to You

A lot of the cooking I do depends on what random melange of fresh organic veggies and fruits are included in my bi-weekly "bin" from Organics to You.  I heard about this local organization from my friend Megan over a year ago and decided to try it when I went back to work full-time this March. I thought the convenience (as well as the novelty) would be worth a shot.  The system is similar to a CSA, except there is a lot more flexibility in terms of the frequency with which you receive your bin (once a week, every other week, or as seldom as you choose).  Also, you have the option to specify certain "dislikes" and likes in order to help guide what is included in your delivery as well as the option to start or stop at any time.  Oh yeah.....that's the convenient part about it....Organics to You delivers your organic goodies right to your front door.

So, if you look at the Web site (just Google it) you can get a general idea of what type of volume to expect with each size bin.  Also, there are options to choose more vegetables, more fruit, or specific types of either or both.  I decided to start with a small bin on a biweekly delivery schedule.  I originally ordered the "Latin" add-on, which would/should have included items such as cilantro, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes....you get the idea.  Well, on that very first delivery Organics to You messed up my order and sent the fruit add-on instead.  What a happy accident!  I couldn't BELIEVE how much fruit was included!  There seemed to be an endless supply of oranges, plums, pears, berries, bananas, apples and on and on and on. I was immediately hooked (as were my 3 kids) and decided keeping the fruit add-on was a MUST.

So far, I love Organics to You.  Sure, we've had our mini-misunderstandings, but they always do everything in their power to correct their mistakes, etc.  My only real gripe would be that they tout themselves as dealing with LOCAL organic growers, and a lot of the merchandise does seem to come from California or Mexico.  But, who am I to complain?  Tomorrow I'll receive the next box, so tune in for the list of contents......

Up next - creative empanada filling ideas - a request from Denise T. :o)