This is a little different from what I usually post here. Thanks for indulging me.
Tribute in Light (2006)
Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. For me, much of 9/11 is about what happened in NYC, as I was on Long Island that day starting graduate school. The day was terrifying, sad and surreal, and the attacks defined some aspects my 15 years on the east coast. To this day I can’t see images of the twin towers without being at least a little bit startled (I’m looking at you, Friends reruns.) Continue reading “Thoughts on the 20th Anniversary of September 11”
It’s been nearing two weeks since I posted last and apart from general work business that is sometimes disruptive, I got sick with a virus. It was probably a cold—definitely not the flu—but unpleasant just the same because of fatigue and congestion. However, this time around there were two things that were undeniably different—A) I was constantly hungry (I wanted to eat all the time), and B) I didn’t consume dairy.
Now, I don’t have philosophical issues with dairy—I was once a raw milk drinker for many years. I love cheese (raw and pasteurized), yogurt, butter, ice cream, and I drink full fat lattes. I only really use non-dairy milk (coconut) when I prepare a chia breakfast bowl in the mornings. My unplanned abstinence from dairy confirmed something to be true that I’d been told over the years—cut out dairy to cut down on mucus. I know it is there for a reason but it’s also a real killjoy.
To go without dairy here in Portland was a breeze, and a lot of credit goes to our vegan friends who have worked hard for years to bring animal-free products into the true commercial mainstream. I was able to enjoy creamy salad dressings (tahini), coffee with milk (coconut milk), soft dark chocolate (also raw with no refined sugar—hats off to you, Honey Mamas), and yogurt (coconut milk). I’d actually like to try my hand at making coconut milk yogurt after this experience.
As an aside, I also plan to work on a ginger bug to make naturally fermented ginger ale, another good thing to drink when you’re sick (it’s also good any time).
As I continue to get over this virus, I plan to keep dairy out of my diet, and will take this opportunity to eat more dairy-free food. I don’t expect to eliminate it completely in the long run, but for now I’m content to explore the world sans dairy.
If I could give those of you attending Feast Portland’s Grand Tasting—or really any of the events that involve a lot of eating—one tip for enjoying the vast amounts of food that will be in front of you, I’d say chew your bites thoroughly. It will force you to slow down just a little bit, and your digestive tract will thank you.
When I see an Oriental Chop Chop or a Secret Asian Man, I feel … weary. Because the language of the Asian salad is revealing of the dangers of bland, disembodied generalization: When you fail to see countries and cultures as discrete entities, what kind of consideration could you be expected to give to individual people?
–Bonnie Tsui, author of the essay, Why Is Asian Salad Still on the Menu?
The other night in Portland I ate a downright delicious thing called the Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. Along with the pleasantly moist chicken with a crackly crust, the condiments hit all my favorite notes—creamy, tangy, savory, spicy—and the bun held the sandwich together without getting in the way of its filling. In the sandwich’s menu description there was a list of elements and they included, among other things, “Asian-style coleslaw.” What?
As I mentioned in the Welcome to Bridgetown Bites post, I lived many years and started my food writing career in Astoria, Queens. By the way, the neighborhood is home to two magnificent bridges—the Hell Gate Bridge (above) and the Triboro Bridge—intersecting the waterfront at Astoria Park (I find similarities between the St. John’s Bridge at Cathedral Park in Portland and the Triboro Bridge in Astoria Park).
Those of you who know me are aware that I spent the whole of my life in Astoria in the Ditmars area, where this bridge is located. I think it’s apt that this website uses the word “Bridgetown” in it.
One of the first Greek foods I had when I moved to Astoria was a gyro, but the cookies I remember best from my time in Astoria were melomakarona–sweet, earthy, nutty. Ironically, some of the best were from an Italian bakery called Rose & Joe’s. I’ve had the ones from Artopolis (RIP), too, and they are excellent. I think when it cools down here in Portland I’ll try to make them myself.
And former Astoria restauranteur Michael Psilakis is right about octopus being the “chicken of the Greek restaurant.” It’s on every menu at the local tavernas, and consequentially locals have virtually no tolerance for badly prepared octopus (while I’m no longer a local, I do not have much interest in eating poorly cooked octopus anywhere).
His MP Taverna made one of my favorite versions in the neighborhood—it’s tender and meaty with a tasty external char (tentacle tips are often crispy), and I love the chickpea salad and yogurt bed he used to support the octopus. I always ordered it when I would dine there (along with the dumplings with lamb sausage).
Not far is Taverna Kyclades—they make a much simpler version (cooked on the grill and served with olive oil and lemon), and it’s also very good.
Here’s to finding good Greek food in Portland. As I update this in 2024, my hopes are on Tréla.
