Special Event: Feast Portland Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

When I was invited to attend the Feast Portland Grand Tasting this weekend at Pioneer Courthouse Square, I was expecting local restaurants to be there showing off their creations, but it ended up being more about ingredients for chefs than finished product on the food side.  Here are a few of the standouts:

Snake River Farms - Slider made from their Kurobuta pork was well prepared and the sauce did not overpower the wonderful pork it was intended to highlight.  SNAKE RIVER FARMS American Kurobuta Pork is lean, with small, fine streaks of marbling that make each cut sweet, tender, and juicy. Unlike traditional white pork that can have a tendency to be bland and dry, American Kurbouta Pork is much darker in color and rich in flavor. In fact, the Wall Street Journal has dubbed it "The Other Red Meat".  Comparing the weight of loins before and after cooking, American Kurobuta Pork has significantly less weight loss – up to 50% less – than some other varieties. This is the succulent and juicy difference you can taste with SNAKE RIVER FARMS American Kurobuta Pork.

H.U.B. - Hopworks Urban Brewery's Bottle Conditioned Belgian-Style Pale Ale was amazing. Smooth and soothing with a bottle charge that kept it bubbly well after opening.  Definately hoppy, without going over the line into IPA territory, it was easily the best beer of the day.

The Pie Spot - kickstarter project trying to get out of the cart and into a store front. Their chocolate hazelnut was messy but delicious, with chocolate chips that were distinct enough to stay suspended in the brown sugar and corn syrup filling rather than breaking down into a gooey mess.

Sasquatch Brewery - Sasquatch brought several beers to the tasting, and I sampled two: The NW Red and Untimely Summer Ale.  Summer ale was very pale but with a smooth crisp flavor.  The perfect beer for a warm Portland afternoon.  The NW Red was sweet and citrus tinged, without the bitterness that sometimes can creep in to the reds from a small brewery.  Overall I was impressed with their offerings, and look forward to stopping in and seeing what the Pub is like.

Kickstarter Food! - The Pie Spot

I was at the Feast Oregon Grand Tasting yesterday (and will post more later on that topic and the great things I tasted), and met the Ladies responsible for The Pie Spot.  They have a KickStarter campaign that is about to run out, and I'd love if my readers could help them meet their funding goals.

Their story is on their KickStarter page, so I won't tell it here, but I can tell you that I was impressed by their offerings at The Grand Tasting.  They brought a Marion Berry pie, and the amazing Chocolate Hazelnut.  The Chocolate Hazelnut was messy but delicious, with chocolate chipts that were distinct enough to stay suspended in the brown-sugar and corn syrup filling without melting together and becoming a gooey mess.  Think a pecan-pie, with hazelnuts and chocolate chips rather than pecans.  Easily the best desert of the day, even considering the presence of Salt & Straw at the event.

Lets see if we can help these folks out with getting their store-front open!  

First look: iPhone 5!

Ok, I'm 3 hours in, and 2 since I stopped driving and could play a bit. I'm loving the bigger screen, and it feels even lighter than I expected.
The screen's contrast really is better, and so is color saturation. The white balance on the 4s always seemed a little off to me, and pictures from the 5 so far seem to have a more accurate image. I'll have to play with it more and do some side by sides to see if that is real or imagined.
I'm out of LTE coverage area right now, but I'll update when I can compare speed test results vs. Verizon here in the Portland area.
Definitely not a disappointment in any sense (except for crappy service from AT&T this morning after 8 hours in line.

Review: Kindle Fire HD 7"

It was about a year ago that I started this website with a review of the Kindle Fire.  A lot has changed since then.  Tablets have grown to a point where the iPad sold more than any BRAND of PC last year.  Expectations have been increased to monumental proprtions that few devices have a chance of living up to.  Google worked with ASUS to release the Nexus 7, and still didn't capture 10% of the global tablet market.  With all of these facts, Amazon announced their new Kindle Fire HD line.  The first device to arrive in consumer hands is the 7" version.  

The Fire HD improves on every aspect of the original, without increasing the price. The Kindle Fire HD 7" is $199 for the 16GB version, $249 for the 32GB variety.  The new Fire HD is much faster, resolving all of the actions attempted more than twice as fast as the original.  All of the problems I had with the original have been resolved, much to my enjoyment.  The Book app now allows for changing the background color, font size, and font quickly and effectively.  The addition of hardware buttons corrects the most glaring flaw of the original.  Most importantly, Amazon's app store offerings are now much more robust, with many applications already updated to take advantage of the improved resolution of the HD.

Starting at $299, the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is likely to cause the biggest stir when it arrives in November.  At the price points Amazon is able to deliver, the competition is not easily going to be able to compete.

Look below for pictures of the unboxing and getting started guidance.

 

Apple Special Announcement - New iPhone and iPods

This morning Apple held an event to announce new products, and the only thing that wasn't already reported by rumor sites like AppleInsider and MacRumors was the new iPod Nano that was was announced.  Here is the run down of todays announcements:

1. iPhone 5 - The new iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order starting Friday, 9/14.  22% Lighter, 20% Thinner, wit han improved camera and worldwide LTE cellular data starting at $199 for the 8GB model.  The pictures that leaked over the last several weeks proved accurate, with some of them looking suspiciously like those that now adorn Apple's website.  Here's the iPhone lineup shipping 9/21:

iPhone 4 - 8GB - Free with contract

iPhone 4s - 16GB - $99 with contract

iPhone 5 - 16GB - $199 with contract

iPhone 5 - 32GB - $299 with contract

iPhone 5 - 64GB - $399 with contract

2. iPod Touch 5th Generation - This wasn't leaked as well, but was expected by many.  Featuring the same 4" screen as the new iPhone, the new iPod Touch has a processor upgrade to Apple's A5 chip, is thinner, lighter, and features an improved camera.  The 32GB iPod Touch is $299, 64GB iPod Touch is $399.  New iPods are available for pre-order on Friday, 9/14 and will ship in October.

3. iPod Nano 7th Generation - This one wasn't even hinted at by the rumor sites.  Many of us expected a new Nano, as a new design has been released every year for the last several years.  The suprise is that instead of getting smaller as it has over recent years, the Nano has now grown again to a 2.5" screen.  Resembling nothing more than a miniturized iPhone, the new Nano fetures multi-touch, a built in pedometer and fitness applications, FM Tuner with Digital Audio Recording (allowing you to pause and rewind radio), and for the first time in the Nano history Bluetooth.  These will also ship in October, 16GB for $149.

 

Dinner Tonight: MOROCCAN MEATLOAF WITH LEMON HONEY GRAVY AND ZUCCHINI COUSCOUS

MOROCCAN MEATLOAF WITH LEMON HONEY GRAVY AND ZUCCHINI COUSCOUSI was looking for some new flavors and types of foods to cook when planning our menu for the week, and found this great recipe for a Moroccan Meatloaf made with ground lamb that looked too good to pass up.  The greatest thing about Moroccan food is the wide range of spices that are used to combine into dramatic new flavors.  A savory dish with cumin, mint, lemon zest and cinnamon that is topped by a citrus and honey sauce can be found nowhere outside of the Middle East that I've ever seen, and this one was off the charts good.  

The silky smooth gravy of Honey, Lemon, and a classic rue kicked the flavors of the meat to a new level, and the combination of sauted zucchini and mint in the couscous made the pairing perfect while sneaking veggies onto the kid's plates.

Give this one a try, the fat boys in Morocco are on to something here....

You can find the recipe on Rachel Ray's site here. 

Dinner Tonight: Sausage, Pepper and Onion One-Pot

I was looking for some good old fashioned comfort food to do for dinner tonight, and stumbled across this recipe for Sausage and Peppers done in  a single pot.  Using a single pot for every stage of this process means you don't lose any of the flavor from the veggies or the pork fat that renders out of the sausage.  It all stays and layers to make an amazing dish.  The only change I made was to use a nice belgian white ale in place of the white wine (Fat Boy's don't keep white wine around the house).  Nice crisp full flavors without a lot of clean-up afterwords, now thats what I call Fat Boy Heaven.

Find the recipe here: Rachael Ray's Official Website - Sausage, Pepper and Onion One-Pot 

Amazon to release new Kindle units over the next several months

On Wednesday, Amazon held a press announcement in Southern California to announce the roadmap for Kindle device releases through the end of November.  Coming in at a variety of price points, here is the new line-up:

 

1. Kindle, 6" E Ink Display, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers

The basic Kindle has been updated with better fonts, 15% faster page turns, and improved wi-fi.  Oh, and they improved the price....the Kindle is now just $69 and is available now.

2. Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High Resolution Display with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi

Amazon announced a new front-lit e-ink reader to compete with the Nook Glow-Touch.  From the images we've seen and the demo on Wednesday it looks like a winner, and comes in almost $30 dollars less than the Nook at $119 for the Wi-Fi version.  It is also available with 3G at $179.  The PaperWhite will ship the first week of October.

3. Kindle Fire HD 7"

Amazon announced a new HD version of their popular Fire tablet, bringing a faster processor and 720p video to the platform, while doubling memory capacity from 8GB to 16GB.  The amazing thing was the announcement that the price would remain $199, and the original Fire would be upgraded slighly while reducing the price to $159.  The 7" HD will begin shipping Sept. 14th.

4. Kindle Fire HD 8.9"

The big news of the day was the announcement that they were "Going Big".  Jeff Bezos and company announced an 8.9" tablet in the Fire line.  Boasting 1080p video with HDMI output, 32GB of RAM and a processor that it claims has 2x the performance of the Tegra 3 Chipset, the Kindle Fire 8.9" HD is making a very strong play.  The important part of this announcement isn't the specs though, it is price point.  Starting at just $299 it is going to provide stiff competition to Apple's iPad line, coming in $200 lower than the entry level iPad.  Amazon also announced a 4G LTE version of the 8.9" tablet, with the offer of 250MB of 4G data for just $50 a YEAR.  Compared to the $25 monthly charge of the lowest priced Apple tablets and you have a solid counter punch to sway budget-minded consumers your way.  While 250MB of data isn't much and there still has not been any announcement of other data plans, this could be huge for Amazon this holiday season.  The 8.9" units will start shipping in late November.

 

We have all 3 new units on their way, and I'll post reviews as soon as possible.

R.I.P. Bill Moggridge - Computer and design pioneer

Engadget:

The next time you hinge open that notebook PC and smile at a feature that makes it easier to use, give a thought to Bill Moggridge, who passed away Saturday from cancer at the age of 69. The pioneering designer invented the modern clamshell design seen in all modern laptops, and is also viewed as the father of human interaction software design. The Compass Computer he designed for Grid Systems with the screen folded over the keyboard appeared in 1981, flew on the space shuttle, and inspired virtually every notebook design since. Perhaps more importantly, when he tried to use the machine himself, Moggridge was exasperated with the difficulty and decided to take the human factor into account for software design. To that end, he engaged experts from fields like graphics design and psychology, and tried to "build empathy for the consumer into the product," according to former partner, Professor David Kelly. The pair merged their design firms to form Ideo in 1991, and worked with clients like Apple, Microsoft and Procter & Gamble, designing products like the first Macintosh mouse and Palm V handheld along the way. In 2010, Moggridge became the director of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York, and was a recipient of that institution's lifetime achievement award. He also won the Prince Philip Designer's Prize, the longest running award of its type in the UK, given for "a design career which has upheld the highest standards and broken new ground." See why that's true by going to Cooper-Hewitt's tribute video, right after break.

 For more information, see the video and bio of Moggridge at Cooper-Hewitt.org

Oregon Brews and BBQs: Slick's Big Time BBQ

First on the list today was Slick's Big Time BBQ out if Newberg. We tried the Chef's Special, which included 2 Ribs, a Pulled Pork sandwich and 2 sides for $12.00

The ribs were juicy and tender, with a very nice bark.  They were cooked the way I would do them in the back yard, cut thick and falling off the bone.  In a competition they would be overcooked with the way the whole piece of meat came off when I tried to take a bite.  The pulled pork was tender, but I didn't care for the heavy sauce they paired with this one. It was supposed to be sweet and spicy, but the spice overwhelmed the sweet here.  The baked beans were more of a chili than a baked bean, and the slaw was good but not great.

Overall it was decent but not great BBQ, but well above average for a fair-type setting.

Dinner Tonight: Watermelon Feta Salad and Chicken Breast

I was trying to find something light for dinner tonight, and stumbled on this idea for a Watermelon and Feta salad.   At first the combination might seem a little strange, but the saltiness of the feta combines with the sweet of the watermelon juice to make a wonderful creamy dressing which is set off by the mint.  I paired it with a boneless skinless chicken breast to keep it light.  It really turned into a great summer dinner.

Dinner Tonight: Turkey Apple Sausage with garden fresh sautè

We have been dieting, and only eating food at most one meal per day. Tonight I decided another boneless skinless chicken breast wasn't going to cut it!

I stopped at New Seasons Market to get some fresh made sausage. I selected an Apple Turkey sausage and took it home.

I started by adding 1 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. butter to a sauté pan over medium heat. I sliced up a large Walla-Walla sweet onion and added it to the pan, along with 3 cloves of fresh garlic from our garden.

While the onions were sweating I looked at the fresh veggies from our garden and grabbed a fresh yellow summer squash and a green pepper, both of which I cut into 1/2 inch cubes. I added them after the onions had started to carmalize, adding salt and fresh ground pepper.

While the veggies were cooking I started the sausages browning on a cast iron grill pan for ~5 minutes per side. Once they were browned nicely I added them to the sauté pan and covered it, reducing the heat to medium low giving the flavors a chance to combine. 20 minutes later it was ready to eat. To plate I sliced the sausages and placed vegetables down both sides, then sprinkled with Pecarino Romano cheese to add a nice sharp bite which contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the squash.

This is a great, simple lean meal that can really be done with any kind of sausage and vegetables you have from your garden over the summer.

Food Cart Review: Cultured Caveman

The Cultured Caveman food cart at NE 15th and Alberta

 

The Cultured Caveman food cart in the Alberta 15 foodcart pod (Located just off 15th and Alberta) started as a Kickstarter project. That is where I first learned of their idea, and I am proud to say I was a backer of this unique cart. Since I live on the west side and don't have much cause to be in NE Portland, this was my first chance to visit Joe and Heather and taste their food.

Rainbow Rosemary Fries and Paleo Chicken Tenders....awesome meal!I went with the Paleo Chicken Tenders and a side of Rainbow Rosemary Fries. The first thing to know about food from this cart is that anything fried is fried in Organic, Grass-fed beef tallow. This imparts a flavor all it's own to any food, but also has a lower smoke point, leaving food a little soggier than some would prefer. Remember that the paleo diet is more about a lack of grains and dairy than it is about being low-fat.
The Rainbow fries were great, if a little soggy. A trade off I will take any time for this flavor profile. Served with their own homemade ketchup, the combination is amazing.

Paleo chicken tenders were as good as any I have had with wheat flour. A nice crispy coating while maintaining a nice tender and moist chicken. Cultured Caveman uses organic raised chickens from Draper Valley Farms, "breaded" in a dredge of coconut flour, garlic, white pepper, and salt. Again, the flavor was amazing, and dipped in their southwestern aioli was a delight.

In all the combination of a crowd-sourced startup plan and amazing food make Cultured Caveman a healthy and tasty piece of Fat Boy Heaven. I'll be back to try their other menu items soon.

On the Road Review: Champion's Bar and Grill

Nice clean bar next to my hotel and easy walking distance from Lambeau. The restaurant became a local sensation when it was featured on Man v. Food on The Travel Channel.

Their claim to fame is a 6lb burger named "the Gravedigger" after fan favorite Gilbert Brown, a member of the '96 Superbowl winning team.

I was not eating for 6-8 people tonight, so I went with the other fan favorite here, the Brat Burger.

A 1/3 pound angus patty topped with a patty formed from a brat, onions and cheese, the brat burger is a staple of local bars, and while ok, this one does not measure up to the one I had at Skip's Diner earlier in the week. It was well cooked and seasoned, but nothing special.

Service was slow in a nearly empty bar, and the food could be found in nearly any bar in America. A decent bar to pass the time of an evening. But the food won't be dragging you back. Come on down if The Grave Digger challenge intrigues though, it must be something to see.

On the Road Review: Green Bay Distillery

The Green Bay distillery is located just blocks from Lambeau Field, and is one of the larger bars in town. The bar ASPIRES to distilling, but thus far has only managed a few vodka infusions, none of which inspire as creative. Every college kid has tried infusing vodka with jolly ranchers for crying out loud.

The Curds and rings were hand dipped, and perfectly fried, if a bit over salted. The best I've had in town at this point.

Burger was obviously a frozen patty with nothing to distinguish it from 100 others in this town. It arrived over cooked but well seasoned.

A nice bar with decent appetizers, but not a first choice for a meal.

 

On the Road Review: Kroll's West - Green Bay

The Butter Burger....freaking amazing!

A Ruben Pizza?!?

When you step into Kroll's West, it feels like stepping back in time. It looks like it must have when the stadium was built. This place has been featured twice on The Travel Channel's Man v. Food, and it is easy to see why.

Kroll's Butter burger was a thing of beauty. Creaminess of the fresh butter on the beef was amazing. Brought out tightly wrapped in wax paper just like it was 40 years ago, you can tell that tradition is vital to this place as much as it is to this town.

Ruben pizza unique, but flavor just not quite there. I think I was missing the spicy bite of rye, and the dressing didn't quite have the zip of a good Russian dressing.

It is easy to see why Kroll's is still a fixture in this town. In a town known for its food, this place is truly a slice of fatboy heaven.

On The Road Review: Curly's Pub (at Lambeau)

As part of the renovations of Lambeau field that began in 1997, an atrium was added to make the stadium more of a destination spot. Included among the plans for a retail store and the Packer's Hall of Fame was a restaurant named Curly's, after Curly Lambeau, the founder of the Packers.

Probably the most eaten at restaurant in town, Curly's is your typical pub, with several items that stand out from other sports bars that surround this temple of football.

One of these standouts is the Beer cheese and bacon burger on pretzel bun. The bun is chewy but soft with the great flavor and texture of a well made soft pretzel. The creamy sharp flavor of the beer cheese combines with the bacon and beef to create an amazing burger.

Waffle fries were seasoned well, without being sponges for grease.

All together Curly's is a unique experience. At any given time you may encounter players and front office personnel dining here with friends and family, or a raucous crowd cheering on the Brewers or Packers.

Curly's and the entire atrium are a must see slice of Fat Boy Heaven.

On The Road Review: Skip's Diner

Skip's Diner

When I asked locals where to find the best burger in Green Bay I received two answers consistently, Kroll's West and Skip's Diner. I was then told that if I wanted to try Skip's to go early and bring cash.

When I arrived at Skip's Diner I was greeted by a sign informing me that debit and credit cards were not welcome. While it may seem old fashioned and out of touch, this told me that I was in the right kind of place. Skip's has great prices and a classic lunch counter menu.

Skip's Burger - 1/3lb angus patty, cheese, brat patty, and fried onions. With fries $5.85

Cheese curds - the Wisconsin national food, $2

This burger was amazing. I had never before had a brat patty, but I came to find the brat burger is found on many menus in Green Bay. The burger was perfectly cooked, and one of the five best I've ever eaten. Juicy and full of flavor, without all of the over seasoning so commonly found in small restaurants.

The cheese curds were perfectly fried and not greasy, a difficult accomplishment when breaking and frying cheddar cheese.

If you find yourself in Green Bay, Skip's Diner deserves a place on your dining schedule. This IS Fat Boy Heaven folks.