Food & Beverage

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    Trader Vic’s Grand Opening in Portland

    ByVanessa Salvia

    A tropical wind settled over northwest Portland’s Pearl District as Trader Vic’s opened its doors for a sneak preview of the storied establishment. Opening night was August 1, but lucky tikiphiles and media people got to experience it first-hand almost a week earlier. As the crowd entered past the water feature and tropical plants at the front door, the kitchen geared up to deliver plates of bite-size morsels, while the bartenders worked out their cocktail shaking arms for the special event.

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    Blackberries Without Thorns? Yes!

    ByVanessa Salvia

    Many people know that berry crops grow well here in the Northwest thanks to our warm, dry summer days and cool nights. But this is not only a hospitable climate for berries, it’s also the center of berry cultivating research. Dr. Bernadine Strik is Professor of Horticulture at Oregon State University, Extension Berry Crops Specialist, and lead researcher with Northwest Willamette Research and Extension Center at OSU. Strik researches production and physiology of berries and participates in the USDA-OSU cooperative breeding program to develop new varieties, one of which is a thornless blackberry known as ‘Black Diamond.’

  • Summer Tastes Like Gazpacho

    ByVanessa Salvia

    Not a summer goes by that I don’t make gazpacho at least once. No other food tastes more like summer to me. Typically gazpacho is reserved for the handful of 90+ degree days when I don’t feel like cooking anything at all. And if it’s made with tomatoes grown in my home garden, all the better, but in this case, my tomatoes aren’t ready yet and I couldn’t wait.

  • Sour Cherry and Strawberry Pie Recipe

    ByVanessa Salvia

    My neighbor sent me a cryptic text message that “Italians are coming for a BBQ tomorrow” and could we come? I said yes, of course, because who says no to a BBQ on a Saturday in June? Plus, I needed to find out more about these Italians. She texts again, “Great, bring a bit of fruit.” After laughing over what kind of fruit Italians like — Tomatoes? Olives? — I realized that there was only one choice, and the only time I would be able to make this happen was this particular weekend in June, as the sour cherry tree in the backyard was ready to pick.