Two food-related things jumped out at me from Project Grow’s latest newsletter, and I thought I’d pass them on. First, they’ve got seeds! Lots and lots of seeds! For those of you beginning to dream of this year’s garden. Also they’ve got needs. Lots and lots of needs! Just kidding. They have a normal amount of needs. Needs like wine, tea, canvases and benevolent millionaires. And you can help! I posted the newsletter excerpts, so read on, for news of seeds and philanthropic opportunity. 

FROM THE FARM
Our burnout has burnt off! The days are getting longer, the time draws nigh, and smoke rises from the mountain of doom…scratch the latter. We’ve done our first bit of starts-planting for the spring, and its a delightful relief to see supple little cotyledons popping out of our soil. Soon enough, we’ll be starting our tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and basil for sale and for our own planting stock. The fields are still very much sleepy, but the later-planted crimson clover cover crop (nitrification alliteration!) has shot off into a creeping verdant carpet. Inside, we’ve been re-installing our starts area, which turns into a seasonal junk-catchment zone once we’ve finished our starts push in late spring. In a very exciting new development, we will be selling some very wonderful seed varieties this spring and summer. All the seeds we’ll be selling (25+varieties) were grown, harvested, cleaned, and packaged here in North Portland. We have an obscene amount of Orach (both purple and green), many bean and pea varieties, over a dozen tomatoes, and various greens. Please stop in if you’d like to buy some, or check them out at local feed stores and nurseries. They’re hand-stamped manila envelopes with growing info inside with your seeds. Otherwise, we’re delightfully multitasking on all the building projects we had to table during the summer. Please swing by and check out our seeds, visit the critters, and get inspired for the very imminent growing season.

WE HAVE SOME BIG DREAMS AND WHAT WE NEED IS…YOU!
Wish list
Canvases to splash our dreams on
Markers and sharpies (we have a marker ghost that seems to suck the life out of all our markers)
Curators
Gallery spaces
Book makers
Fashion designers
Dreamers
Activists
Aryclic
A millionaire or two to fall in love with us and donate
Lumber
Weaving Yarn
Volunteers
Wine for events
Tea to sip on when stressful moments appear
Journalists to come spend some time with us
Fancy soap to spoil our hands with in the bathroom
Wireless speakers for our computer to listen to music that makes us dance
You!

We love you.
Project Grow

Buy here>>

Judges include myself, pie blogger Joel Weiler (MakeMeSomePie.com), pie filling grower Chris Hertel (owner/farmer of Sun Gold Farm in Forest Grove), and pie baking genius Kate Withiam (Pacific Pie Co. Pastry Chef).  You, I mean your pie(s), will be judged based on appearance, taste and consistency of filling, taste and texture of crust, and overall deliciousness.What’s at stake? My happiness, for starters, but beyond that, you can win fun prizes, and the top pie in both the Sweet and Savory category will be featured on Pacific Pie’s February menu. Your mom/grandma/pie coach will be so proud!

What are you supposed to do with this information? Well, you have a few options. I’ve listed them and also made some helpful notes to assist in your decision-making.

1. Show up on Sunday with a pie that you made and enter it in the contest. (Best Option)

2. Show up on Sunday without a pie that you made and just ogle other people’s pies. (2nd Best Option)

3. Stay home on Sunday and watch the raindrops form millions of tiny waterpies on your windows from your perch on the couch. (Lame, Antisocial Option)

So that’s settled. See you Sunday!

The pie contest will be held this Sunday, January 22, at PPC’s lovely Southeast Portland pie shop (1520 SE 7th Ave.) and you are invited to participate. The rules are pretty simple: competing pies–Sweet and Savory both welcome–must arrive by 1pm, you can enter as many pies as you want, and it’s free to enter.

Judges include myself, pie blogger Joel Weiler (MakeMeSomePie.com), pie filling grower Chris Hertel (owner/farmer of Sun Gold Farm in Forest Grove), and pie baking genius Kate Withiam (Pacific Pie Co. Pastry Chef).  You, I mean your pie(s), will be judged based on appearance, taste and consistency of filling, taste and texture of crust, and overall deliciousness.What’s at stake? My happiness, for starters, but beyond that, you can win fun prizes, and the top pie in both the Sweet and Savory category will be featured on Pacific Pie’s February menu. Your mom/grandma/pie coach will be so proud!

What are you supposed to do with this information? Well, you have a few options. I’ve listed them and also made some helpful notes to assist in your decision-making.

1. Show up on Sunday with a pie that you made and enter it in the contest. (Best Option)

2. Show up on Sunday without a pie that you made and just ogle other people’s pies. (2nd Best Option)

3. Stay home on Sunday and watch the raindrops form millions of tiny waterpies on your windows from your perch on the couch. (Lame, Antisocial Option)

So that’s settled. See you Sunday!

But none of that holds a soy candle to the real reason New Year’s Eve was invented: to give you an excuse to eat an appallingly decadent NYE dinner. ‘Tis the one night a year when Portland restaurants can gild their menus with wild abandon, writing caviar, foie gras, lobster, truffle and champagne as many times as they want without anybody so much as batting a pearl-studded mink fur eyelash.

How do you wade through this sea of culinary bling and pick the perfect menu to help you ring in the new year right? I don’t know! I stay home on New Year’s Eve like a sensible person, following a simple annual routine: don my pink bunnysuit pjs, light a few sparklers, eat an entire See’s Candy Gift of Elegance box, drink too much Champagne, and watch Love Actually three times in a row. But I will help you make this weighty decision, and here is how: I’ve gone through my vat of NYE dinners press releases and assembled a simple profile for each one. All you have to do is scan the list, and when you’re finished, whichever offering resonated the most with your stomach is your last-meal-of-2011 soul mate. Easy, right?! Okay, let’s do this.

(Note: In the interest of keeping this post slightly shorter than Santa’s naughty list, if a menu had multiple choices per course, I picked a particularly tempting one to represent. Website links are included so you can peruse each restaurant’s info at your leisure.)

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ANDINA
Theme: Something Yellow, a Suitcase and 12 Midnight Grapes
Cost: $75-$155 depending on number of courses and selected wine pairings
Seatings: 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7 or 7:30p.m/8:30, 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. with live music from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m
Menu: Varies
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.228.9535
Extras: Champagne, pannetone and 12 good luck grapes at midnight per Peruvian custom
Website

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AVIARY
Theme: Frenchasian Feast
Cost: $65 for 4-course menu, (with wine pairings, $90)
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Chestnut veloute, brussels sprouts, crème fraiche, bottarga
Champagne poached tillamook bay oysters with champagne sabayon, brioche, american caviar
Muscovy duck roulade with persimmon, watercress, lime pickle vinaigrette
Smoked artichoke with quinoa crème fraiche, grapes, radishes, fines herbs
Roast leg of lamb, mustard crust, saffron, fennel and pear, Chinese sausage and mint
Chocolate Hazelnut Marjolaine with meringue, apricot, chocolate and cognac ice cream
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.287.2400
Website

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BEAST
Theme: Eight-Course Opulence
Cost: $200 for 8-course menu, including eight wine pairings
Seatings: 5:30pm and 9pm
Menu:
Lobster bisque with tarragon oil
Oyster with finger-lime sabayon + yellowtail with pickled Angelino plum + ahi with fried bone marrow & caviar
Rabbit and veal galantine with fennel citrus salad and tete de cochon
Sea bass with wild mushrooms and parsley emulsion
Grass fed dry aged ribeye roast with pommes puree, sauce verte, burgundy black truffle and veal demi-glace
Beast foie bon bon with Sauternes gelee and seared artisan foie gras with quince confiture
Cheese Bar cheeses & mini-croquembouche with chocolate truffle
Vegetarian Options Available: No
Reservations: Visit www.beastpdx.com or call 503.841.6968
Website

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BIWA
Theme: Oh YEAH, well we’ll raise your eight puny courses to NINE, ok?!
Cost: $55 for 9-course menu, sake pairing available for $35
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Sashimi of salmon, tuna & salmon roe
Smoked scallop with avocado & greens
Traditional new year’s bento selection
Clear soup with chicken
Rice cooked with oysters
Grilled pork with kimchi
Butterfish simmered with daikon and sake
Chilled buckwheat prosperity noodles
Chestnut cake with sweet red bean
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.239.8830
Website

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CASTAGNA
Theme: Twigs and Sprigs
Cost: $85 for 7-course menu, optional wine pairings $55
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Seven special courses, TBA
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.231.7373
Website

,

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Yes, THIS man will make you Prosecco punch. Book sold separately.

CLYDE COMMON
Theme: Rrrowr!
Cost: A la carte
Seatings: Vary
Menu: NYE menu specials will feature foie gras and caviar
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: For parties of 6+, call 503.228.3333 or visit www.clydecommon.com
Extras: Per the press release, “Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler will concoct a spirited prosecco punch and trend-setting carbonated cocktails, served chilled in individual bottles so that you can open them with a celebratory ‘pop!’”
Website

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COUNTRY CAT
Theme: Down-Home Celebratin’
Cost: A la carte
Menu:
Regular menu plus these specials…
Crab & Parsley Salad Cocktail with Whole Wheat Crackers & Deviled Eggs $12
Butter Poached Lobster on a Blackeyed Pea & Hominy Succatash $18
Grilled Ribeye Steak with Shrimp Scampie Butter & Lacy Potato Cake $32
An homage to the candy bar
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.408.1414
Website

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DOC
Theme: Romance ‘n Rack of Lamb
Cost: $85 for 7-course menu, wine pairings $45
Seatings: 6pm and 9pm
Menu:
TBA, examples as follows…
Belgian endive salad
Foie gras terrine with brioche and preserves
Favioli with squash, spinach and Oregon Dungeness crab topped with fresh steelhead caviar
Fresh scallops with truffles
Sudan Farms rack of lamb with lentils
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.946.8592 or go to docpdx.com
Website

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EAST INDIA COMPANY
Theme: Buffet Bliss
Cost: $27 for buffet, children under three free
Seatings: Three, call for times
Menu:
Bite-sized Samosas
Koliwada Fish Pakoda – Fritters
Boondi Raita – Yogurt Salad
Tandoori Tawa – Assorted kebabs on Tawa
Lacknawi Lamb Do Pyaaza – Traditional
Chicken Mughlai – Pot roasted with, “Khoya” & Caramelized Onions
Paneer Makhani – Buttery & Creamy with Tomatoes
Bagare Beingan – Eggplant, Sesame, Peanuts, Tamarind & Cashews
Vegetable Kerala – Roasted Vegetables, Coconut milk & Chilies
Hydrabadi Biryani – ‘Dutch’ oven baked Rice
Saffron Kheer – Saffron infused Indian Rice Pudding
Homemade Kulfi Ice cream – Mango, Pistachio & Raspberry
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.227.8815 or visit www.eastindiacopdx.com
Website

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GILT CLUB
Theme: Portlandia Posh
Cost: $75 for 5-course menu, additional cocktail pairings available
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Amuse bouche
Foie gras torchon, almond crumble, brioche, sour cherry chutney, celery leaves, and cranberry leather
Watermelon radish salad with snow peas, sunflower seeds, cara cara oranges, radish-basil pesto, and chili oil
Lobster with potato gnocchi, bone marrow, pomodorricio tomatoes, chervil, and finished with butter and lobster sauce
Chocolate bombé with raspberry preserves, chocolate genoise cake, raspberry poprocks, and raspberry coulis
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.222.4458
Extras: DJ IZM will spin low fi, electronica, funk and soul from 9pm to 1am.
Website

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GRÜNER
Theme: NYE in the Alps
Cost: $65.00 for 4-course menu, $35.00 optional “Spirited Flight” pairing
Seatings: Early seating from 5:30-6:45pm, middle seating from 8-9:15pm, late seating (with a sparkling toast and revelry at midnight) begins at 10pm
Menu:
Tarte Flambée with Maine Lobster
Blood Oranges, Pickled Beets and Quince with Ginger & Crispy Shallots
Assiette du Charcuterie w/ Foie Gras Torchon, Duck Mortadella & Venison Pâté
Rack of Lamb en Chamois
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Required, go to grunerpdx.com
Extras: KASK bar will be open late, serving celebratory drinks, finger foods, Champagne punch & chocolate profiteroles!
Website

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THE HEATHMAN
Theme: Au Revoir, 2011
Cost: $135 for 5-course menu, includes dinner, wine, music, party favors and sparkling wine toast
Seatings: 7pm, doors open at 6:30pm
Menu:
Cauliflower Vichyssoise with caviar crème fraiche
Hearts of Palm Citrus Salad with Dungeness crab and Cara Cara vinaigrette
Black Truffle Risotto with Oregon black truffles and truffle foam
Goose Ballotine with braised leg, foie gras, black truffles with red wine and bacon corn bread pudding
Chocolate mousse topped with espresso mascarpone mousse, on a crispy layer of hazelnut and milk chocolate
Reservations: Visit www.ticketsoregon.com 
Extras: Dinner followed by dancing and music with Johnny Martin at 9 p.m. Revelers will enjoy a sparkling wine toast and favors at midnight.
Website

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LINCOLN
Theme: Neighborhood NYE
Cost: $50 for 3-course menu, plus beverages and gratuity
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Foie gras torchon and brioche with apple mostarda, cider braised apricot and sea salt
Golden trout with Umbrian lentils, hazelnuts, thyme and brown butter
Vanilla panna cotta with meyer lemon conserva
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.288.6200
Website

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METROVINO
Theme: Bubbles Aplenty
Cost: $75 for 5-course menu, wine pairings priced separately
Seatings: Vary, between 5:30-10pm
Menu:
Amuse-Bouche
Beet tartare with Truffle Crème Fraîche, Chives, Fingerling Potato Chips, Capers
Dungeness Crab Bisque with Dungeness Crab Cake, Caviar Whipped Cream, Chives
Grilled Steelhead Filet with Spicy Ginger Lobster Sauce, Shiitake Mushroom, Spinach, Potato Purée
Port-Poached Pear, Arborio Rice Pudding, Pistachio, Salted Caramel
Candied Goodbyes
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.517.7778
Extras: Midnight revelers will enjoy a complimentary New Year’s toast of bubbles.
Website

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NOSTRANA
Theme: Felice Anno Nuovo, Portland-ah!
Cost: $75 for 4-course menu, wine pairings additional
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Secret amuse bouche
Antipasti misti
Oxtail and celery root ravioli with truffles
Roasted capon rotolo stuffed with apricots, pancetta, and hazelnuts
Zablione & krumiri cookies
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.234.2427
Website

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OLYMPIC PROVISIONS NORTHWEST
Theme: NYE Meat Up
Cost: $65 for 6-course menu, wine pairings additional
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Oyster on the half-shell, shot of bubbly
Saucisson noisette, salchichon de catalan, pork terrine, accompaniments
Winter chicories, lamb prosciutto, pecorino romano, rosemary pinenuts
Spaghetti, dungeness crab, preserved lemon, calabrian chiles, scallions
Rotisserie Chicken, jeweled rice, walnuts, seared lemon, quince aioli
Blood orange granita, chocolate-dipped candied citrus peel, housemade truffles dusted with gold
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.894.8136
Website

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OLYMPIC PROVISIONS SOUTHEAST
Theme: NYE Meat Up II
Cost: $65 for 6-course menu, wine pairings additional
Seatings: Vary
The Menu:
Shigoku oysters on the half shell with champagne mignonette
Saucisson noisette, salchichon de catalan, pork terrine, accompaniments
Cauliflower soup with glazed pork belly
Crab and Belgian endive salad with oranges
Seared duck breast with mushroom risotto, herbs, and aged balsamic vinegar
Blood orange sorbet, chocolate-dipped candied citrus peel, housemade truffles dusted with gold
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.954.3663
Website

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SIMPATICA DINING HALL
Theme: Basement Bling Bling
Cost: $75 for 5-course menu, plus wine and gratuity
Seatings: 8pm only
Menu:
Caviar on Blini, Oysters on the Half Shell with Champagne Mignonette and a Glass of Champagne
Venison Carpaccio with Horseradish Creme Fraiche, Arugula, Preserved Blood Orange and Shaved Parmesan
Maine Lobster Salad with Frisee, Grapefruit, Fennel, Tarragon and Creamy Citrus Dressing
Beef Wellington with Shaved Foie Gras, Sweet Potato Croquettes and Sauteed Spinach
Orange Flan with Shaved Bittersweet Chocolate
Reservations: RSVP to rsvp@simpaticacatering.com or call 503.235.1600
Website

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ST. JACK
Theme: Gallic Gastronomica
Cost: $55 for 6-course menu, wine and cocktail pairing $35
Seatings: Vary
Menu:
Oreilles de crisses pork rinds with warm maple syrup and espellette
Gratin d’ escargots ham, mushrooms, garlic, shallot, fines herbes & gruyere crouton
Cured beef tenderloin horseradish crème fraiche, pickled shallot, apple, radish & dill
Marinated black cod smoked salmon lardons, melted cabbage & trout roe beurre blanc
Pot de crème with chocolate feuilletine & brandied cherries
Mignardises
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.360.1281
Website

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WAFU
Theme: Dinner and a Par-tay!
Cost: $50 for 6-course menu, includes glass of champagne, sake pairing $20
Seatings: Various times between 5-7:30pm
Menu:
Ozouni: dashi, grilled mochi, mushroom, mitsuba
Namasu: carrot/daikon sunomono
Sashimi: uni/toro with ikura
Butterfish: yuzu-shallot puree, mushroom, herbs
Daigakuimo: caramelized sweet potato, mizuna, shungiku, radicchio
Poached persimmon: mikan broth
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.236.0205
Extras: NYE Party from 9pm-1am, no cover, Sous Chef DJ Lady J, $4 champagne punch, Kissui shots and bubbles, $2 beer, snacks, cocktail attire encouraged
Website

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YAKUZA
Theme: Hot Meal and a Hot Soak
Cost: $55 for five-course menu and champagne toast, optional wine/sake pairing $25
Seatings: 5:30 and 8pm
Sample menu specials:
Kobacha Squash
Charred Brussels Sprouts
Soba Noodles with Jalapeno Ponzu
Duck Consomme
Vegetarian Options Available: Yes
Reservations: Call 503.450.0893
Extras: Late-night bar menu with Slow Braised Pork Ribs and Duck Fat Popcorn plus use of the Kuza Cabin, soaking tub and fire pit. Menu is promised to be garlic and onion free to ensure a non-repellant midnight kiss.
Website

I’ve been a little behind on posting gift ideas for All I Want For Christmas, mostly because I fell down a rabbit hole. Just kidding, but that is sort of what this holiday season has felt like. I have been saving up ideas though, so let’s play catch up.

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1. 33 Bottles/Drams/Pieces of …

Be your culinary vice whiskey, wine, beer, coffee, cheese or cigars, take notes on your favorite finds in these easy-to-tote Scout Books formulated by BS Brewing’s Dave Selden. Billed as “a pocket-sized companion and memory aid,” the index card-sized journals come equipped with features like flavor wheels, color meters, and space for your undoubtedly brilliant tasting notes. The wine books even have wine mixed into the ink for extra authenticity. Find them at fashionable retailers around Portland, or buy them at 33beers.com–booklets are $4 a piece, or for $20 you can get all six.

Buy online here or find a local retailer here

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2. Ruby Jewel Delights

Lisa Herlinger and Becky Burnett’s Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop is one of Portland’s most beloved purveyors of all things cold, sweet and melty, but since ice cream does not historically hold up well beneath the tree for the days/weeks preceding Christmas, you’ll have to eat your scoop of fresh mint flake while you shop for hardier treats, like pretty packages of rich hot chocolate mix and Mason jars of housemade marshmallows, toffee, and pumpkin seed brittle. Or, best of all, you can mix and match from the scoop shop’s wall o’ stocking stuffers to create a custom gift basket for the Ruby Jewel enthusiast on your “nice” list.

Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop * 3713 N. Mississippi Ave. *  503.505.9314 * Facebook

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3. Confectionery Caramels

You’ve probably already fallen hard for Jessie Smith and Nicole Trueblood’s dreamy macarons, but how about them caramels–chewy marble-sized sweets in imaginative flavors like jalapeño pink peppercorn, boozy ginger, and smoky timber, all corn-syrup free and with just the right amount of salt ($12 for 10). Boxed with a wink ‘n a smile, and some very snazzy glitter ribbon, they’re so tasty your favorite insatiable sugar hound won’t even mind that they’ve managed to glue their molars together ’til New Years Eve. And for that person who simply can’t belong to enough clubs that involve calories, I suggest enrollment  in one of Confectionery’s three scrumptious Confection Clubs–the Salted Caramel Club, the French Macaron Club, or the Secret Surprise Club. (prices vary)

Confectionery website * Caramels available at the Crafty Wonderland shop and Fuschia

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4. Portland’s Food Carts Postcards

I’m mildly obsessed with postcards (see the Facestuffer Eat Sheet in postcard form here), so I’m quite taken with this six-pack of local watercolorist Linda Daily’s food cart postcards ($8). Featuring Addy’s Sandwiches, Potato Champion, The Sugar Cube, The Big Egg, Rollin’ Etta and gone-but-not-forgotten Créme de la Créme, this collection of 4″x6″ watercolor prints is just begging to be stamped and filled with descriptions of your latest cart craving so deliciously detailed that it will arrive at its destination mailbox slightly sodden with nosy postman drool.

Find these beautiful postcards at Buy Olympia

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5. Dishing Up Oregon

Local food writer and author Ashley Gartland has penned a saporous 288-page love letter to Oregon’s edible bounty and the farmers, chefs and artisans who spin it into culinary gold. With a glowing foreword by Portland super chef Vitaly Paley and 145 farm-to-table recipes like Chanterelle Rillettes, Grilled Oregonzola Figs and Blackberry Bread Pudding, you’ll probably want to let the recipient open this early in hopes that they’ll then use it to cook you a crackerjack Christmas dinner.

Buy a signed copy from Powell’s Books

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6. Heathman Hotel Afternoon Tea

Sometimes, the best sort of Christmas gift is not a thing, but rather, an experience. After all, an experience can’t be lost or broken, doesn’t accidentally tumble down the drain, and never poops on the rug. Thusly, may I suggest getting someone special the gift of Afternoon Tea at the Heathman Hotel. Served inside the Tea Court, a posh haven warmed by a crackling fire and teeming with holiday swag, Christmas tea entails elegant personal pots of tea, layers upon layers of delicacies like scones with clotted cream, dainty chive cream cheese-spread cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon profiteroles, and for a sweet finish, Parisian opera cake, lemon bars and tea cupcakes. None of which require assembly or batteries.

Heathman Hotel * 1001 SW Broadway * Click here for more info

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7. Seely Family Farm Peppermint Patties

When I was a kid and we’d get to visit the candy shop, I’d head straight for the peppermint patties. Not only did you you get two pieces in your little brown pleated cup, which somehow seemed like beating the system, but there was nothing quite like the sensation of creamy mint filling surrounded by chocolate. For all the minty joy of a peppermint patty with that inimitable Oregon artisan touch, try Clatskanie, OR-based Seely Family Farm’s sand dollar-sized version–soft snow-white fondant made with this fourth generation farm’s peppermint essential oil, lightly squished between dark discs of 60% Belgian chocolate ($1.50 each). Or, if you simply can’t get enough mint and chocolate, try Seely’s Mint Meltaways, White Double Mint Melts, and Peppermint Bark.

Seely’s online store * Find a local retailer * Also available at Whole Foods and New Seasons markets

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8. New Deal Distillery’s Ginger Liqueur

Some daredevil ginger lovers seek the burn–that blazing sensation that comes from snorting the freshest of grated ginger root, or from guzzling that throat-searing ginger tea they have at Palio coffeehouse in Ladd’s Addition, or from stuffing ghost chilis with chunks of candied ginger and swallowing them whole. Less fiery but every bit as sassy is New Deal Distillery’s new ginger liqueur–made with fresh ginger root, cane sugar and agave, it’ll give you a pleasant burst of ginger flavor and a friendly buzz while leaving your mucous membranes intact.

New Deal Distillery * 1311 SE 9th Ave. *  newdealdistillery.com

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9. Mum’s Kitchen Secret Spice Blend

When Mum’s Kitchen chef/owner Kammy Naidoo’s cart was broken into a while back, the thief stole all her jars of Mum’s Indian Spice Blend and sold them door to door in the neighborhood until thankfully, a savvy cart regular bought the lot and returned them to her. Kammy, whose unique blend of South African and Indian cooking has earned her an adoring and clearly loyal clientele over the past two years, uses the mixture of paprika, turmeric, garlic and secret spices to flavor her sumptuous curries, as a rub on fish and to exalt the humble scrambled egg, among its myriad of utilizations. This Christmas, you can come into legitimate possession of these proprietary spices by buying a jar for $7 at the cart window, where Kammy is happy to shoot the biryani with you for a spell, discussing recipes, family, life, and the nuances of koeksisters.

Mum’s Kitchen * 3441 N. Vancouver Ave. * 503.287.0696 * mumskitchenpdx.com

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10. Rid of Me Tickets

Once upon a time, I was a food stylist for Rid of Me, a little indie movie that is getting a very HUGE buzz right now thanks to the incredible talents of director James Westby and lead actress/producer Katie O’Grady. Food was a big part of the protagonist Meris’ character and in the course of filming we made eggs benedict about 100 times, washing the hollandaise off the ham and poached eggs time and time again and re-pouring it right before the camera rolled so it would look fresh. We also burned a salmon to a crisp (on purpose) and accidentally subjected the cast members in Meris & her husband Mitch’s dinner party scene to a red pepper flakes overdose (long story and I’ll explain further in another post.) Anyway, take your favorite James Westby fan to see this filmed-in-Portland flick for Christmas. It’s playing at Living Room Theater and if you lose your appetite easily, you should probably down your deviled eggs before the opening scene.

Rid of Me at Living Room Theaters * pdx.livingroomtheaters.com

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Saint Honore’s Eggnog Bread Pudding

This perpetually-busy Nob Hill boulangerie specializes in sweet Gallic holiday extravagances like hazelnut caramel Bûche de Noël and almond cream-stuffed king cake, but their freshly-baked eggnog bread pudding is a winter pastryscape at its best–stare at it long enough and you’ll see craggy croissant cliffs towering over eggnog custard valleys, and streams of caramel sauce trickling between snowy confectioner’s sugar-sprinkled brioche mountaintops. Or, if you’re a less fanciful/hallucinatory type, you’ll just see one heck of a December breakfast. Owner/master baker Dominique Geulin created the Eggnog Pudding in the likeness of his popular Normandy Apple Toast, a French-style bread pudding built with brioche and croissant instead of regular bread. Gripped by the holiday spirit, he drowned the pudding in spiced rum-spiked eggnog custard, drizzled it with housemade caramel and added a dusting of sugar. Ooo-la-la!

($3.75, Saint Honoré Bakery, 2335 NW Thurman St., www.sainthonorebakery.com, 503.445.4342)

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Salt & Straw’s Eggnog with Butter Rum Caramel Ice Cream

I know, I know, it’s currently 34 degrees, you’ve lost three toes to frostbite because your new 4-inch-heeled lace-up knee boots are fashionable but poorly insulated, and your “loads of vintage charm!” apartment is doing its best imitation of an igloo–ice cream is the last thing on your mind or in your bowl. Well buck up, because Salt & Straw has a lineup of holiday scoops only a true grinch could ignore, and one of them is the Eggnog with Butter Rum Caramel. How’s it made? I’ll let them tell you, in their oh-so-salivatingly-lyrical way. “We’ve hand burned our own caramel sauce, added it to our secret eggnog recipe and boozed it up a bit with locally made Deco Rum from Portland’s Distillery Row.” Convinced? I thought so. Tape your toes back on and get thee to Alberta Street.

(Scoop prices vary, Salt & Straw, 2035 NE Alberta St., saltandstraw.com, 503.208.3867)

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Clyde Common’s Egg Nog

Anything preceded by the words “Clyde Common” tends to be something worth paying attention to–Clyde Common’s chefs create highly edible things like prosciutto-wrapped trout with oyster mushrooms and confit rabbit in dijon cream, Clyde Common’s peerless bar recently claimed a spot in Food & Wine magazine’s 50 Best Bars in America, and Clyde Common’s bartenders are really hotsy totsy (see page 43 of Portland’s 100 Best Places To Stuff Your Faces for more information and a helpful diagram). Clyde Common’s Eggnog, created by bar manager Jeffrey Morgenthaler, is no exception, a silky, nutmeg-spiced blend of añejo tequila, Amontillado sherry, eggs, milk and cream. Ordering it is a sure way to make new friends at the bar, but if you’re antisocial or allergic to fantastic cocktails mixed by hotsy totsy bartenders at one of America’s Best Bars, make it at home–Morgenthaler published the recipe on his prominent bartending blog.

($7, Clyde Common, 1014 SW Stark St., www.clydecommon.com, 503.228.3333)

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Jacobs Creamery’s Eggnog Pudding

In true artisan style, local cheesemaker Lisa Jacobs makes her own eggnog, which she uses to create a lusciously creamy, possibly-addictive holiday pudding, a mere mention of which will immediately inspire a hollow, haunted expression on even the most stoic of men’s faces (the man in question being my dad, who pretends he is excited when I visit for the holidays but is actually just pining for his pudding ration). After crafting her eggnog from Jersey cow milk and loads of fresh eggs from her farm’s hens, Jacobs follows her Irish grandmother’s pudding recipe, supplementing it with extra spices, a splash of rum and plenty of farm fresh milk. “I find that even people who don’t like eggnog can enjoy the flavor in a custard form,” Jacobs sagely observed, shooting me a critical look that I pretended not to notice. Since this weekend marks the last PSU farmers market of the 2011 season, you can find Jacobs’ pudding at her PSU Portland Farmers Market booth this Saturday and this Saturday only, 12/17, between 9am and 2pm.

(8-oz tub  $6, jacobscreamery.com)

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Pacific Pie Company’s Eggnog Cranberry Tart

There’s something so satisfying about preparing a pie or tart from scratch–gently rolling out your award-winning secret-family-recipe crust, carefully filling the pretty fluted pan or Grandma’s vintage pie plate, the scent of sugar and spice and everything nice wafting through the kitchen, the beauty of the finished product as it cools on the counter, the oohs and aahs of your admiring family and friends as they stand there with baited forks. There’s also something even more satisfying about simply calling Pacific Pie Company and ordering a pie or tart, because not only will it almost certaintly taste better than yours (especially because they always remember important ingredients like salt and butter and filling, which some of us occasionally overlook because they’ve had too many hot toddies), but there won’t be a sink full of dishes and flour in nooks and crannies you didn’t know existed by the time you exhaustedly sit down to eat it. This Christmas, the PPC baking wizards have dreamed up an Eggnog Cranberry Tart that’s exquisitely layered with crimson cranberry sauce and velvety eggnog custard. Stop into their Southeast Portland shop for a slice, or call now and reserve a whole one for Christmas dinner, which will leave you more time to sip hot toddies and feel sorry for the people spending Christmas Day cleaning flour off their kitchen ceilings.

(Pacific Pie Company, 1520 SE 7th Ave., pacificpieco.com, 503.381.6157)

According to the Good Book, the reason for the season is newborn Jesus, but yesterday at the Olio Nuovo Class led by Nostrana chef Cathy Whims and olive oil sommelier Jeff Bergman, it came to my attention that newborn olive oil holds a special place in December’s heart as well.

Olio nuovo, aka new(born) olive oil, is the fresh, raw, antioxidant-filled and powerfully-flavorful extra virgin product of exceedingly careful harvesting (not running one’s truck into the olive tree and scooping up the traumatized fallen fruit, as Bergman explained while comparing old olive oil-making processes to modern ones), getting the picked olives to press in as little as eight hours, tearing of the fruit to release the oil verses grinding it with a granite stone, and using a low-speed, low-temperature centrifuge to separate the olive oil from the olive water.

Sharp, bright, fruity, grassy, and peppery, these polyphenol-packed oils are fleeting, “meant to be savored, not saved.” Harvested and produced in the last week of October and first week of November, they are best consumed 60-90 days from their bottling, when their flavors are most pronounced and they’ll still brashly burn the back of your throat, a sensation Bergman calls the “polyphenol effect.”

“Olio nuovo is unlike anything you could ever taste,” Whims declared as we dipped tasting spoons into three distinct Tuscan and Sicilian olio nuovos, letting the oil hover between our tongue and the roof of our mouths and drawing air through it to enhance the flavors, as instructed. “And in three months it will something totally different.”

In Italy, Whims explained, the autumn arrival of olio nuovo is heralded with raucous celebrations involving pitchers of just-pressed olive oil (as fresh as a mere 15 minutes old) and fettunta–a simple snack of toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic cloves, liberally drizzed with olio nuovo and sprinkled with sea salt.

“You should use so much oil it’s dripping down your arm as you eat it,” Bergman said happily.

Should you wish to host your own oily-armed fettunta feast, during the month of December (or until supplies run out) Nostrana will be selling the following three estate-bottled Italian olio nuovos: Capezzana Olio Nuovo (Tuscany, $15), Frescobaldi Laudemio Olio Nuovo (Tuscany, $30), and Gianfranco Becchina Olio Verde Novello (Sicily, $45). Obviously, these would make the ideal gift for the olive oil enthusiast in your life.

But let’s say you wish to take this gift even further, and that you are the impulsive type and wish to give someone their gift today. How providential then that tonight at 6pm, Nostrana is holding an Olio Nuovo Wine Dinner mimicking the menu presented at yesterday’s class. Seats are $85 per person, including wine pairings, and reservations can be had by calling 503.234.2427. Since I’m not one to stay mum on the subject of what I’ve ingested, let me give you a preview of the offerings.

Whims and Bergman collaborated on each dish with a seamless stream of informative and delightfully anecdotal dialogue as smooth as the olio nuovo Bergman joyfully poured on everything in sight, lovingly referring to his emerald-green object of affection as the “crowning glory” of Tuscan cuisine. First demonstrating a beef carpaccio, Bergman carved paper thin slices of a Piedmontese beef tenderloin that had been partially-frozen for easier cutting. Whims plated the ruddy rounds, scattered sliced radishes, celery leaves, and deep-fried capers on top, and shaved parmigiano over the whole affair.

Next up was the humble but sublime ribollita, a traditional peasant dish which Whims characterized as a prime example of authentic Tuscan cuisine. The idea is to take leftover minestrone soup, fortify it with chunks of stale bread until it resembles “wet stuffing,” form patties with it and fry them, then drown them in olio nuovo. A comely dish, it is not, but ultra-satisfying on a cold winter afternoon, it is.

Moving on, Bergman demonstrated how to gut a squid, then he and Whims transformed the pale, flaccid little tubes into a symphony of wondrously-tender grilled calamari tossed with chickpeas, slivered fennel, lemon slices, and torn Tremiti olives and accented with wild fennel seeds and pepperoncini flakes. A splash of colatura, aka anchovy juice, added a touch of umami funk.

For dessert, Whims and Bergman whipped up an ethereal olive oil torta crowned with dried Turkish apricots poached for a half hour in Vin Santo, vanilla bean and citrus zest.  ”I love the texture–it’s soft, light, and melts in your mouth,” Bergman said. “It’s like a big Twinkie cake.”

“Put your nose to it,” he instructed the class. “You can smell the olio nuovo.”

And on that note, we all put our greasy hands together and applauded, visions of olio nuovo bottles dancing in our heads.

More info on tonight’s Olio Nuovo Wine Dinner here>>

See, yesterday, Wieden + Kennedy graciously permitted Mette and I to set up a table in their atrium to sell Best Places To Stuff Your Faces to hungry brilliant advertising people. As part of our display, we shared Swedish fish with everyone, and held a Win A Book & The Leftover Swedish Fish! contest.

When Big Winner Cathy won her guidebook, she was so excited, it made me want to give away books all the time! But Mette, ever the voice of reason in this operation, pointed out that this is not a solid business strategy, so instead I decided just to fill the 12 Days of Christmas with Facestuffer guide giveaways.

It’s easy to win. Here are the steps:

1. Click here to join the Under The Table Facebook community. It’s filled with very nice folks who love food, just like you.

2. Starting this Monday, December 12th, keep an eye on the Facebook page to catch the day’s food picture when it’s posted. The picture will be a random snippet of a delicious Portland dish I’ve eaten that day. Like this:

3. Then, guess which dish it is in the comments section. (If you guessed Le Pigeon’s foie gras profiterole for the above photo, you are so ready for this contest!) The first one to guess correctly wins, and if nobody guesses correctly, I’ll put all the attemptees names in a hat and draw one. Because sometimes you can be a winner without really winning. At least, that’s what my mom always told me.

See you Monday on Facebook!

Everyone has a different relationship with soap. Some people believe that soap should perform a very basic function, that is, preventing Smelly Guy/Girl Syndrome. Some people believe that soap should be used as a decorative element, and should come in interesting shapes, emit beguiling perfumes, or have weird Goldschlager-esque flakes or scrubby specks in it. Some people use soap as a status symbol, making sure that their eight guest bathrooms, four kitchen sinks, yacht bar, and stretch Escalade’s cupholders all sport full dispensers (labels out!) of Molton Brown myrrh muske & cypress at all times. Personally, I believe that soap should look and smell like food.

Thanks to Janell Anderson’s pretty little Portland-made Prunella soaps, which come in almost-edible blends like pink grapefruit & oatmeal, blood orange & ginger, cinnamon & coffee bean, and peppermint poppyseed, washing your hands before dinner becomes a sudsy little amuse bouche. (No really–they are organic and vegan and smell so good you’ll probably end up tasting them.)

Dubbed Princess Prunella by her mother thanks to her childhood propensity to linger in the bathtub until she developed thoroughly pruney fingertips, Janell’s food-centric soaps are a reflection of her own love for cooking and baking, and her philosophy that you can create something quite enticing with just a few high-quality ingredients, like organic citrus, cinnamon and mint. Her fragrant wares can be found at her Etsy store and at lovely Betsy & Iya boutique, at the corner of NW Thurman and NW 24th, tucked in among the beautiful displays of handmade jewelry, garments, and accessories.

Janell also makes a line of ingenious Adventure Sticks (click here to see the Oregon Hops White Grapefruit version). One soap stick is adequate for one shower, or for a mere hand wash, half a stick or so will do. Not to editorialize, but they might be the coolest thing ever. After all, how often do you come across a cleanser that smells like breakfast and makes you wish you’d get your mouth washed out with soap more often?