Pick Me Up Pink Risotto

 The only thing worse than looking for a job in general is looking for a job in Portland during an economic slump.  Sitting in Madison in my soul draining cubicle eavesdropping on my 8th hour of phone calls for captioning I couldn't imagine anything worse that didn't involve working in a sewer.  I figured the fella and I would come out here with our crazy Midwestern work ethic and find jobs in days and live happily ever after.  The fella has had an okay time of it but I'm competing with the other 1000 people in town who want a coffee or wine shop job and it isn't going so well.

I've had a handful of interviews so I'm doing better than most.  The problem is all but two of the interviews have either been fake outs or hellish bait and switches.  I filled out an application for an ad to be a front desk person at a publishing company only to get there and be interviewed on the spot and told I could start today but guess what it's a telemarketing job.  I picked up my stuff and ran for the door.  I didn't move 2000 miles to sit in another cubicle.

Next I drove 30 minutes out of town to interview at a roadside coffee stand only to be told at the end of the interview that they really didn't have the money to hire anyone.  They just wanted to know if anyone was interested in working for them if business ever picked up.  Seriously? 

Next I apply to work at a Starbucks downtown (I know, I know but a girl needs to eat) only to get hauled into a secured room with 20 other people in a conference room with assigned seating.  We're all given 10 pages of questions like "do you consider yourself lucky?," "tell me about your favorite person you've ever worked with," "if you had to hire someone else in the room, who would it be?"

After a half hour a somewhat straighter version of Jack from Will and Grace comes into the room and tells us we will be interviewed as a group and he'll pick who will get the job by who can yell out the best answers over everyone else.  Really?  Oh by the way this isn't really a barista job it's to work room service 3rd shift at this hotel we're meeting at.  Surprise!  Also I picked you guys based on who had the best Facebook profiles because really I'm looking for a new best friend.  You have got to be kidding me!

This is my life.  I don't need to make anything up because stuff this weird just happens to me on a regular basis.  So perhaps you can understand why the job search has me a little down at the moment.  But you know what unemployed slackers like me have on you people with jobs?  I can open a bottle of wine at 1 in the afternoon to take the edge off and treat myself to a delicious lunch.  It's not something I make a habit of but sometimes it needs to happen in order to keep me from giving up and going to apply at one of the 100s of strip clubs just to have some sort of income.  Although that would bring a whole other level of weird to my life...

There was some overly tart 2010 Chilean rosé from Calcu in the fridge that was just too much to drink straight due to the heavy dose of Petit Verdot grapes in it that I thought would be great in a risotto.  Turns out I was right.  I threw in some baby artichokes and mushrooms and a fair amount of rosé in place of lemon juice and it was delightful.  It isn't the best risotto I've ever made but it was the pick me up I needed.

A couple weeks ago at the farmer's market the fella and I picked up an absolutely amazing syrah rosé made in the Rogue Valley of Oregon by Shy Chenin.  It's distributed by the Twist Wine Company that does tastings each week at the market.  That's right Madison friends, wine at the farmer's market and fruit trees; Portland is awesome.  It is everything I personally want out of a rosé the right blend of obvious sweet floral notes with a bit of tart herbal qualities on the finish.  And at $15 it's a nice but affordable treat.  This addictive beauty is what I drank with the risotto while relaxing from the job hunting tension. 

Rosé Risotto

Add Ins:

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 fresh baby artichokes, trimmed and quartered (or a handful from a can if you must)

1 cup mushrooms

Risotto:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vegan butter spread

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup arborio rice

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup rosé wine

1/2 cup vegan Parmesan 

1 lemon, zested

salt and pepper, to taste

Add Ins:

In a small pan heat the first tablespoon of oil over medium heat.  When it is warm add the trimmed artichokes to the pan and cook until tender.  If  you need detailed help preparing the artichokes check out the instructions here.  If you are using canned artichokes they don't need to be cooked so skip ahead to the risotto.  When the artichokes are nearly done add the mushroom to cook until just starting to get tender.

Risotto:

While the artichokes are cooking, in a large pot or deep pan over medium heat heat, melt the other tablespoon of oil and the vegan butter.  Add the garlic and cook until brown around the edges then throw in the rice, cooking for about a minute and stirring the entire time so the rice doesn't burn.

Begin adding the broth one ladleful at a time, add more as the rice absorbs the liquid, stirring frequently.  Keep adding broth until the rice is plump and al dente.  Use water when the broth runs out if necessary.  

When rice is finished cooking, stir in the rosé, vegan Parmesan, lemon zest and salt and pepper to your taste.  Continue cooking for another minute or so until warmed through then toss in the artichokes and mushrooms from the other pan and stir once more before serving.   

Gluten Free Vegan Goodies at the Portland Farmer's Market

So it's started raining in Portland lately.  So what?  It's not snow and it's gorgeous here.  Are you kidding me?  Green grass and things growing like crazy in nearly November?  For that I will deal with the rain.  The rain also didn't keep the fella and I from going to the Farmer's Market, to splash through puddles on our way to amazing produce.  And it was an excuse to wear my new rain coat, which when combined with the fella's fedora made me feel like a purple version of Carmen Sandiego.  A couple vendors commented that we were the only people smiling through the rain to which we explained that this weather is awesome compared to what we're used to.  See also: purple raincoat, what is there to not smile about?

Then disaster struck.  Even after a huge breakfast and ferreting away snacks in my purse, I was hungry.  This isn't an issue for an ordinary person who can eat anything in a pinch to keep off hunger, but for people with food allergies this is our worst nightmare.  And anyone who has dealt with me while hungry knows that just waiting until the 45 minute train ride home was not an option.  When I'm full and happy I'm Emily, when I'm hungry I become the Hulk, no one is safe.

I'm used to only having a couple options when I find myself in need of sustenance in the world outside my kitchen.  1.  I could eat the first person I see since human flesh is usually gluten free and, given how testy I get when hungry, is quite possible.  2. I could make myself very sick by eating something that might be safe.  Something that doesn't obviously contain gluten but might be cross contaminated or have traces of something icky in it. 

Then I remembered we live in Portland now.  The magical land where people know what the phrase "gluten free" means.  So as we wandered around the food carts, I was on the look out for something that might be safe.  Then I spotted Salvador Molly's Tamale cart.  I crossed my fingers while asking if they had anything gluten free.  "You've come to the right place.  Everything here is gluten free."  I very nearly jumped over the counter to hug the three very friendly and helpful guys running the tamale cart.

Not only was it gluten free, but it was the best tamale I've ever had.  The corn filling was creamy without being too dense or heavy.  And there was the perfect amount of yummy bits hidden in the polenta.  The salsa was very basic so it added a hint of spice to the tamale without overwhelming the rest of the ingredients.  I had the roasted vegetable option which was full of sweet potato, green and red pepper, onion, garlic, sweet corn, and black beans.  But they also have a chicken option and the very tempting sounding artichoke heart and cotija cheese tamale. 

As you may be able to tell from the picture I enjoyed my Salvador Molly's experience quite a bit.  Enough that I will be sure to visit their full scale restaurant one day soon, as they have a sizable gluten free menu above and beyond the tamales.  I was so happy with having a lunch that I could eat without any worries that I threatened to take one of the tamale makers home with me.  Maybe next time.  Those were damn good tamales.

 Picture by Mark Galligan from the Petunia Pies and Pastries site.  Chocolate things never last around me long enough to get photographic evidence.

But the gluten free vegan wonders did not end there, just a few stands down from where we ate lunch was a dedicated gluten free bakery called Petunia Pies and Pastries.  At first I stopped to live vicariously through looking at some chocolate goodies I couldn't eat but when I saw it was gluten free and vegan I almost cried with joy.  Instead I just body checked the fella and ran as fast as I could to get in line for a chocolate hazelnut cupcake. 

It was divine!  Literally the best cupcake I have ever had, gluten free or otherwise.  I'm not positive of exactly what magic is contained within these tasty treats but I know part of the secret is nut flour which makes these super rich but fluffy.  They are the perfect texture, none of that hard as a rock or overly chewy mouth feel of so many gluten free baked goods.  The only explanation I have for how the amazingly chocolatey frosting is possibly vegan is that fairies and the souls of babies must be involved.  And then to top it all off there is one precious little gold foiled hazelnut on top of each cupcake.  It's almost too pretty to eat, but I managed. 

Petunia has a new loyal customer for life.  Sometimes I close my eyes and dream about that cupcake,  I can't wait until next Saturday to go back and have another.  There were so many other delicious looking things at Petunia, like cheesecakes, crisp rice bars and tarts that I feel bad for them knowing I will go right back for another cupcake, never stopping to taste the other goodies.  Well I'm sure I'll get around to them eventually but right now I am in love with the chocolate hazelnut goodness.

Speaking of wonderful chocolatey things this is the furry love of my life who has been ill lately and could use all the positive energy you can send her way.  Fluffy Butt here ate something toxic the other day, spent the night in the vet hospital and is just now getting back to her normal silly self.  If you have a furry little one in your life you will understand how scary this week has been for us so please keep your fingers, toes, and eating utensils crossed that she will make a full recovery so we can return to our regular schedule of traipsing through the all the parks in Portland.

Baby Artichoke and Loveage Risotto

Portland blows my mind at least once a day.  It's gorgeous here.  So I should warn you now, fair reader, that to make up for my lack of skill in the food porn photography department I will hope to distract you with photos of the various eye candy this city has to offer just because I can.  Gaze for example upon the two tiny houses I stumbled upon on my dog walk around the neighborhood the other day.

Besides being easy on the eyes Portland has all sorts of other goodies that quickly made me a huge fan of the city.  There are fruit trees everywhere.  The Asian plum tree in the alley way behind our apartment for example I have named "breakfast" and take advantage of at every opportunity.  Apples are everywhere.  Today the fella and I found two fig trees and his sister lives in a neighborhood where we have spotted pears, lychees, kiwi and persimmons.

This is quite a change having come from a city where fruit trees are illegal because the mayor decided people will kill themselves trying to pick the fruit and Madison can't afford the liability insurance.  Some bureaucratic nonsense like that.  Someone should inform Mayor David that I've been here a month, and though I have seem a lot of strange things, that has not included anyone bleeding from the skull after a failed attempt at apple gathering.  I'm just saying...

Then there is the farmer's market downtown.  We went two weeks ago and I'm still recovering from the amazement not to mention cooking from our bag of goodies.  This is a market like the Midwest could only dream of.  It's massive and the produce is insanely beautiful, abundant and fresh.  There are food carts, bakeries (including a one that is gluten free and vegan, New Cascadia, that I will be reviewing soon), chocolate makers, even local wine.

There were fruits and veggies there like most people would not believe.   It never crossed my mind that I was lucky enough to now live in a place were artichokes are local so I snatched up a bag of baby chokes and two mama ones for my cooking schemes.  And after smelling this mysterious local herb called loveage (which is a relative to capers and celery I have now learned) I knew I had to have that too.  When the lady selling it to us said the word "risotto" I knew exactly what to make for dinner.

Somehow the fella and I made it home on the Tri Met with our many bags of goodies, all the while munching on fresh blackberries and dreaming of the meals that were in our future, given the quality of food we now have to work with.  Our first experiment was a success.  It isn't much to look at but this risotto was crazy good, you can substitute in whatever herb you have on hand because the fresh artichokes are the star of this show.



Baby Artichoke and Loveage Risotto

2 tablespoon olive oil
8 baby artichokes, trimmed and quartered

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I use EarthBalance soy-free spread)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup arborio rice (brown rice will work as a slightly healthier substitute)

2-3 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste


1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon loveage, ribboned (use basil or mint if you must)
1/2 cup frozen peas

lemon juice
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese


In a large frying pan, heat oil and place prepared artichokes heart side down and fry at medium heat until tender.  If you need more detailed instructions on properly trimming artichokes and frying them, then check this out.

While the artichokes cook, in a separate pan over medium high heat, melt the remaining olive oil and butter substitute then add the garlic, cooking until slightly browned.  Add rice to oil and toast for about a minute, stirring constantly.


About a 1/2 cup at a time begin adding the broth to the rice.  Wait for the rice to absorb most of the liquid and then add another portion of liquid.  Continue this ritual, stirring often until your rice is al dente.  Use water or additional broth if necessary.  Now add salt and pepper to your taste.


Your artichokes should be soft and crispy by now, add those to the rice along with the wine, loveage and frozen peas.  Stir well and continue cooking until the peas are warmed through.


Remove from heat and drizzle with some lemon juice and some vegan Parmesan, giving it one last stir before serving.