Real Food Revival

I was at a bookstore over the weekend that was closing and had ridiculous prices. I picked up a book called "The Real Food Revival" by Sherri Brooks Vinton and Ann Clark Espuelas. I thought it might be cheesy (like the cover picture) or crazy, but for a couple bucks I was willing to find out. Turns out this is a great book.

There are some people out there who just eat everything that is put in front of them without asking questions or even wondering where it came from. Others may just assume the USDA and other such organizations are out there protecting us. This book explores the reality that is the food industry. The fact is the USDA and other organizations are more concerned with protecting the large meatpacking companies and farms than they are with protecting consumers. Problems run rampant in the meatpacking, farming and fishing industries that jeopardize our health and well-being.

This book not only informs the reader about these issues, it also provides a lot of information on what you can do about it. It tells you where to shop, what to look for on packaging, questions to ask and many websites and books are referenced to give you more information.

I like the position the authors take in this book. It isn't overly preachy and it certainly isn't telling anyone to be a vegetarian or avoid red meat (in fact problems with the farming industry are discussed as are health benefits of grass-fed beef). The authors simply long for great tasting food that isn't harmful to eat or to the environment.

If you get a chance, pick up a copy of this book at a local bookstore or on Amazon or someplace like that. It might just change the way you think about what you are putting in your mouth.

4 More Weeks

The end is near. I'm in the final 4 weeks of school at Oregon Culinary. It's been quite a journey so far. Now we are in the restaurant serving the public. For the last week I've been a waiter. This coming week I'll be a "sous chef" (making sure orders are plated correctly and sent out in timely fashion). Then I'll work prep and then the line. It's a little stressful because we have to learn new positions every week, so in some ways it's like opening a new restaurant every week. Just when you learn a position, you get moved to another one. But it is fun and a great experience.

After this term, I move on to my externship. I can't wait. I'll be going to Cannon Beach and working in rotation at three of the best restaurants on the coast: The Wayfarer , The Stephanie Inn Dining Room and the Lumberyard Rotisserie and Grill . I'm so excited to work with some of the best chefs in Oregon. They are also paying me and providing housing (weird, it's like I'm really back in college now- complete with roomates). It will be very tough to be away from my wife, we'll both probably put some mileage on our cars. But this is an opportunity not to be passed up. So if you're in Cannon Beach for a weekend, stop by and say hi.

Leaves of Change

Here's a great song I just stumbled across that I hadn't heard in years. I loved Blind Melon.

"Change" by Blind Melon (RIP)

"I don’t feel the sun's comin’ out today its staying in, its gonna find another way. As I sit here in this misery, I don’t think I’ll ever see the sun from here. And oh as I fade away, they’ll all look at me and say, and they’ll say, Hey look at him, I’ll never live that way, But that’s ok they're just afraid to change. When you feel your life ain’t worth living, you‘ve got to stand up and take a look around you then a look way up to the sky. And when your deepest thoughts are broken, keep on dreaming boy cause when you stop dreamin’ it’s time to die. And as we all play parts of tomorrow, some ways will work and other ways we’ll play But I know we all can’t stay here forever, so I want to write my words on the face of today and then they’ll paint it. And oh as I fade away, they’ll all look at me and say, hey look at him and where he is these days When life is hard you have to change."

CHANGE is on the horizon. More information to come, check back, I'll keep you posted.

Come eat at OCI!

The school I am attending- Oregon Culinary Institute- is now serving lunch. Four courses: Appetizer, Soup/Salad, Entree and Dessert, Price: $9.00. You can't beat that anywhere. I can scan the menu if anyone is interested. I will be in the restaurant portion of the class in a week. Should be fun!

Most Monday-Thursdays, seating at 12 noon. To make reservations call 503-961-6200. Visit www.oregonculinaryinstitute.com for more information.

Happy Hours

My wife and I love to go to happy hour whenever we get a chance. We aren't big alcohol consumers, but we love checking out restaurants at an affordable price. Here's a list of some we've been to recently.

Oba!- This is a great restaurant in the Pearl District. We had been here for dinner before and figured we'd check out happy hour. While the drinks were great ($3.75 margaritas), I have to say we were a little disappointed with the happy hour food. Queso Fundido dip was more oil than anything else. The grilled salmon quesadilla was okay, but not spectacular. It may have been an off night in the kitchen, because when we went for dinner the food was all spot on fantastic. We'll try this one again. Prices $3.50-$6

Blue Hour- Another Pearl District hot spot. This one is very upscale and I would probably never eat here if it wasn't happy hour. The fried olives were interesting, they tasted burnt- but I don't really know what fried olives are supposed to taste like. The butcher's board plate was great, with fantastic housemade mozzarella. We also had the bruschetta and pizza. While the bruschetta was slightly burnt it was still not unpleasant, and the pizza was very good. I might go here again, but Bluehour is a little more swanky then I prefer. Prices were $1-$7.

Olea- Ever had a lobster corn dog with tarragon mustard chased with a shot of beer? For five bucks during happy hour at Olea you can have this unique experience. This was just one of many interesting selections on the happy hour menu. I also highly recommend the Grilled Dates (parma ham, vanilla-black pepper oil), the hummus plate and the pizzas. Not a bad thing on the menu. Everything we ate was between $2-$5

More to come...

Hills-blow-ro

I'm so tired of Hillsboro. It is turning into the same big box, fast food, strip mall that has come up from California to overtake us all. The old downtown area is run down despite attempts to revive it with new buildings and water fountains. The Farmer's Market is okay, probably the one redeeming quality. I know I grew up here and have lived here most of my life, but I don't like the direction this place is going. It might be time to get out.

Freedom!

Tomorrow is my last day at the giant corporate bank I've been working at for the last six years. I won't miss it. Monday I start a new term of school and a new job as a cook at an assisted living facility. It's going to be cool. I can't wait. A fresh start. No more sitting on my ass in an office all day listening to people's complaints about their credit cards. I'm so grateful God has saved me from job purgatory.

McSucky (random babble)

I am probably the last person to read it, considering it came out in 2001, but I am loving the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. It is muckraking at it's best. And it's making me think a lot. Corporate fast food has taken over so much of America's landscape it is ridiculous, and this has lead to corporate takeover of the land and facilities that produce the food too. It seems you can't get away from corporate America no matter how hard you try. And we push it into other countries too. I love America for all the freedoms I have. However, I am not thrilled with the corporate takeover not only of the food industry but of practically every industry in America. Banks, computers, clothing, grocery stores, etc. Small businesses closing up shop while Walmarts, Kohl's, Taco Bell and McDonalds are opening all across America. I've never had the opportunity to travel all the way across America. But I'm starting to think if I did it now I wouldn't be too impressed. It would be like one giant strip mall extending all the way across. Whoopie. Such is progress.

Last night's dinner

Herbed Pork tenderloin with huckleberry-balsamic
reduction!

Huckleberries are the most excellent of all the round berries. That's all I have to say about that.

Random ramblings- no wonder I named my blog random thoughts

Sometimes I think about my place in this world. Why the heck am I here? Most people go around chasing money like it's the reason for existence. To me, that's not the be all end all. Money is nice, sometimes I'd like to have more, but it all goes away in the end. I'm starting on the path to having a culinary career. There's not a lot of money for an entry level cook. Do I aspire to be more than a cook someday- yes. Do I aspire to drive a Rolls and be a powerful executive chef that operates 15 restaurants? Not really. I'd like to have enough to live, but I don't want to be a greedy corporate guy. I'd like to own a restaurant someday. A little Ma & Pop type place. I know, it sounds old school, but I think this is a part of America that needs to stick around. I don't want to live in a world where your options are McDonalds and Denny's. Keep small/local businesses alive in America! Maybe that is part of the reason I'm here.

I gotta get out of this place, if it's that last thing I ever do.

Some group called the Animals sang that song. I feel like it couldn't be more appropriate for where I'm at in my job sitaution. I make decent money and have great benefits, BUT- it's slowly killing me. I sit on my arse listening to people's credit card problems. It's driving me up a wall. I feel like the guy in Office Space. I just want to knock my cubicle over and throw the computer monitor out the window. This certainly isn't my dream job, at this point it's more of a nightmare. It's like the movie Groundhog's Day except the people aren't as nice. I have to get out. I'm going to culinary school and I don't work in a kitchen. I'm going to leave this hell, even if it means working the dish pit somewhere. If you pray, pray for me. I need a new job, and it can't come fast enough.

Good enough for Goonies

We went to Astoria again for Kristen's birthday last weekend. No disappointment here, it's still a great little town with lots to do and see.

Trip highlights:

T-Paul's Urban Cafe- Good food without the upscale b.s. One of the owners was also our server. They cook up fabulous food at affordable prices. If you go, try one of the many quesidilla selections. You wouldn't believe what they can cook up on two (yes, only two) burners! Fun decor included a couch, a door hanging from the ceiling, a window also hanging from the ceiling and a fish tank resembling a coral reef.

Goonies house- yep, I saw and took pictures of the Goonie's house and the jail. I'm a dork, so what.

Long Beach, Washington- Not all that exciting, kind of turned into a tourist trap. Lots of video games and bumper cars. Washington's version of Seaside.

Ilwaco, Washington- Ate at some greasy spoon on the boardwalk. Can't remember the name of the place, probably because I don't want to.

Astor Column- beautiful view from up there. Didn't climb the column this time- I hate climbing that thing, it's old, crowded and has no windows. Not to mention I'm afraid of heights.

Astoria Farmer's Market- We were told by a vendor it's the 2nd biggest in Oregon. It was pretty big and definitely fun. I could see buying a lot of stuff if I lived in town.

Astoria is our favorite coastal (sort of) town. If you haven't visited, it's less than 2 hours away from Portland, what are you waiting for?

so long, astoria

My wife and I visited the lovely city of Astoria yesterday. I must confess, I didn't want to leave. Astoria is an awesome little place! It was nothing like what I remember from visits with my parents when I was a kid. The downtown area has been revived. The riverfront area is being restored with homes and the piers are being rebuilt and house many shops and restaurants. We visited Baked Alaska, which is a great restaurant right on a pier above the Columbia. I got a chance to talk to the chef after my meal at his new store (on the same pier) called Mise en Place. He said he might have me as an intern (I'm a student in culinary school). I'm going to be praying about this possible opportunity. Kristen and I dream about living on the coast, so if the opportunity presents itself and it becomes possible for us to do so, we would love it. So long Astoria, hopefully I'll be back soon.

The Art of Cutting Potatoes

I started Culinary School this week. Prior to this week the only experience I had was in my home kitchen (unless you count Taco Bell or KFC). Needless to say, I am a little overwhelmed. This week we mainly concentrated on beginning knife skills. There are some people in my class who have been working in professional kitchens for years. They have skills. Me, well, I'm trying to get down the basic chopping a potato at a 90 degree angle. It's harder than it looks to get a perfect cut. But I'll get there. Practice makes perfect as the saying goes. The instructors are great though, they know many of us have never been in a professional kitchen and are patient with us. I'm having fun and learning lots.

Easter is coming

So Easter is coming up here pretty soon. I haven't been to church in a while, and don't really have a church I go to. Should I feel like I have to go to church on Easter? Will God be offended if I don't? The church is not a place I've felt comfortable in for a long time. Does that mean I'm not a Christian? I don't think so. I graduated from Bible college so I should understand the church's importance in society right? Yes, I do. But I believe the church in many places has gotten so political that it's no longer about God but more about an agenda. You hear as much talk about being pro-life or anti-gay marriage as you do about the Bible in many places. Hey pastor, why not tell us what God thinks we should do instead of spending so much time harping on the things people shouldn't do? Plus, I've been burned by the church and it's hypocrisy. I know I should go and fellowship with other believers, but other then being with friends who are Christians, I really don't want to hang out in church. Maybe someday God will give me the desire to go back. But I don't know if it will be for Easter.

Christian Vs. Christian

I was just reading an article last night about how a guy named Mark Coppenger of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary did a whole sermon ripping apart Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz) basically for being too liberal for a Christian. I was thinking, this is the problem with Christianity. We can't spread a gospel of love when we hate amongst each other. It doesn't work. People can see through hypocrisy. Miller's book is about his personal journey. It reads somewhat like a personal journal- not some bold theological statement. Coppenger comes off as a guy who just wanted to pick a fight. In my opinion there is no place for this within the body of Christ. We can agree to disagree, but public bashing of another believer is shameful and uncalled for.

Epicure and the Lion King

Ok, so I said I'd update you all on my weekend activites. I did go to Epicure- which at this point still has the signage and menu saying "Irvington Corner Table". I must say, even with high expectations I was still blown away. Everything was great from the dungeness crab wonton appetizers to my flat iron steak with demi-glaze and whipped potatoes. I was in food heaven! My wife got the herb poached salmon with a buerre blanc (white wine and butter) sauce, which I tried and it was also excellent. The fresh green and yellow beans accompanied both of our dishes. Our plates were clean by dinner's end! And even nicer than that, my wallet wasn't empty when I left. The service was very friendly, giving lots of personal recommendations when prompted. The wine list looked good but I had no wine this evening. I would definitely go back, in fact, I WILL go back. Nice relaxed atmosphere and inspired cooking make Epicure stand out from the rest. The current menu is available online at Irvington Corner Table (soon to be Epicure).

After dinner it was off to the show. Our seats at the Keller Auditorium were great and we were pumped to see the Lion King. My wife had seen it before when she lived in California but I never had. I won't write a lot here, because there have been many rave reviews written about the Lion King before. All I can see is believe the hype! This play is excellent and much better than the movie it was taken from. It's only playing for a few more weeks, so get your tickets while you still can!

A side note...

If you enjoy eating out and want to support the thousands affected by Hurricane Katrina, please eat out this Wednesday, October 5th! The Oregon Restaurant Association is teaming with the American Red Cross for "Dine For America". Over 700 restaurants are participating. Visit Oregon Restaurant Association for a list of participating restaurants. If you are reading this outside of Oregon, this is a national event, so visit Dine for America for more info.

So I'm pretty new to this blogging thing. I am going to try to keep updating this site with things that I think people would be interested in. I am going to see the Lion King tomorrow and going to the new Epicure location at the old Irvington Corner Table. Will update with reviews on both.

I was once a Christian abortion protester

Once in my lifetime I was a Christian abortion protester. I held up the sign, you know, the one with the horrible picture of the mutilated baby. I did it to “open people’s eyes” or something like that. Actually, that’s not true. I did it because I was looking for a place to put my faith into action. I associated my faith in God with the fact that babies have the right to live, and therefore I was going to stop the murder of innocent children.

It was really horribly selfish of me. I wanted people to look at me, to pay attention to me and think I was doing something good. And if they didn’t think I was doing something good, at least they were still paying attention to me.

By this point some of you may be asking a few questions. First, am I still a Christian?? Answer- yes, I love my Lord Jesus Christ because He first loved me. The question likely to follow is if I am a Christian, am I pro-life? Answer- yes, I believe God creates us in His image, and to destroy His creation is wrong.

So naturally that leads to the obvious question: If you are a Christian and pro-life, why would you believe your protesting abortion was wrong? That can only be explained with revelations I believe God has given me very recently.

Here is a definition of the word Christian that I recently read:
One who believes, or professes or is assumed to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him; especially, one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ.

This is a fairly accurate description of what a Christian should be. I would take out the part about saying “or professes or is assumed to believe”, because a Christian should be a person who does believe in Jesus Christ, and further whose life is being conformed by the relationship he has with Him.

So I’ve been thinking lately, would Jesus have been an abortion protester? If He were on earth today, would He be standing on the corner holding up a sign with a picture of gory, mutilated baby limbs? I don’t think so. Does that mean Jesus wouldn’t be disappointed with what people are doing to His creation? No.

The reason I think Jesus would not be an abortion protester is because Jesus told us the greatest commandment is for us to love God and to love our neighbors. Now I know some of you might say there is tough love, and that’s true. But Jesus never once directed any anger toward the people He came across, regardless of the terrible sins in their lives. He didn’t call the prostitutes names or tell them being a whore was an awful thing to do. He loved them. He didn’t tell the robbers or tax collectors that they were evil. He loved them. Love is what Jesus was all about. Abortion protesting, to me, was more about hate for the people who perform abortions, hate of the women who get abortions, and hate of the men who support them in doing it. To me, there was only hate in being an anti-abortion protester. I justified the anger and hate by saying God hates it too.

I’m sure God does hate it, all the killing. In fact, I know He does. I know God hates all sin, and I know that He says killing a person is a sin. But what is Jesus example of how to combat sin? Love. Wild, passionate, uninhibited love. So much love, He died because of it. Would you die for a bum who hates you? Jesus did (see Paul’s conversion story for one example).

Another thing I notice in the life of Jesus is that in the gospels, He doesn’t get mad at anyone except the Pharisees and sometimes the apostles. In other words- when Jesus is angry it is usually, if not always, at people who ought to know better!

In high school, I had a lot of friends on the fringe. There was the school drug dealer, the skater kids (it wasn’t nearly as popular then), the stoners, the hippies, the grungers (of which I was one, I love Nirvana), even some of the guys who played magic cards in the cafeteria. There were people who had extremely different views then I did. A couple girls I knew even claimed to be witches. But, they were my friends, I loved them.

I tell you all this only to say that my becoming a Christian abortion protester caught some of these people a little of guard. It was hard for them to see me as loving or kind while standing there in front of the high school with the picture of the gruesome baby appendages. I’m not sure some of them ever forgave me. I’m not sure I would have either. I probably killed about 3 years worth of relationship building with one moment of letting anger take control. Just what Satan wanted.

I think Satan and the demons are laughing all the way to the bank because of the way some Christians have narrowed the gospel down to talking points about abortion and homosexuality. The devil himself must love the fact that we are too busy hating the things of this world to actually love people.

It’s sad what the church has become. Jesus really only gave us a few commands, and for the most part, we’re blowing it on all of them. He told us to love Him. Instead we love our churches, make idols of our preachers, sell Jesus name for money and attach His name to things He would never have supported.

He also told us to love our neighbors. I think we fall even further short in this category. We can’t even muster up enough love for someone who is of a different denomination or theological background, let alone love those who don’t know Him. In fact, many of us can’t even love other people in our own church congregation enough to have grace and compassion with them.

I’m not meaning to attack anyone personally. If you are reading this and you really are a loving person who follows Jesus and loves like Jesus then that’s great. I am only writing all this to say that these are things that I have struggled with, and continue to struggle with. I haven’t found the formula or equation to make myself stop struggling with these things. I can’t give you five steps to loving people. All I can say look to Jesus. He came to earth to die for us, but also to show us how we ought to live. He was a friend to all- the poor, the sick, the helpless, the hopeless, prostitutes, tax collectors. Shouldn’t we be too?