Bagels and Cream Cheese

In my life bagels and cream cheese has been something ordinary the fill the void between meals . This weekend that changed a little . As my love and I are sitting eating an amazingly fabulous meal this weekend ( so good all that existed was her as I gaized into her beautiful blue eyes and the meal that was encapsulating my senses so much that nothing else existed as I ate each perfect bite ) she suggested we get some bagels and cream cheese next saturday and sit down and plan an adventure or at tleast a direction to point a car . Whether it's heading to Multnomah falls or the coast , garage sailing ( hopping from garage sale to garage sale ) , car hiking , a meal - whatever we feel like .

For me this has created an exciting promise that starts with a simple meal  . It's like magic I felt when I was younger sitting over my bowl of cereal excited about heading into the world without a care in the world and no planned direction , just excited to get out there .

This morning without thinking I reached into the cupboard to grab my bagels for my morning coffee and her promise hit me and a warm,fuzzy feeling came over me .

Thank you my love for giving me a moment to look forward to where we can put all worries of work and life to rest for a day and sit with a simple meal and head out to conquer the world - even if for just a day . It;'s such a simple thing - just like bagels and cream cheese :)

The Egg Carton- 52nd and Foster foodpod

This humble cart had it's soft openning this weekend and the food was excellent . Owned by a sweet couple from the Midwest they are specializing in farm fresh egg dishes .

There were a few diferent offerong for Bennie

Mine was a Andui Sausage Benedict

I am a big fan of the butter , satiny Hollindaise sauce

French toast with Bourbon Maple Syrup

Simosa - mock mimosa nwith fresh squeezed OJ

Hope you can take some time and visit Sarah at The Egg Carton- 52nd and Foster  

Her food is always enjoyable and I always look forward to it :)

The Crockpot Conundrium

So.......recently I tried cooking a crockpot meal for my girlfriend . For some reason this is an aggrevation for me . I keep returning to this endevour with lackluster results , not imparting the level of flavor I desire .

I am realizing I need some more education in this area . There is quite of bit of prep involved (and as my girl will tell you if I am not organised with everything in one space I melt down ) and then it never sits well with me to fix it and forget it - in my Male brain that's not cooking ;P The irrational part of my brain worries it will boil over ( which it did ) or burn the house down ( which it didn't ) . If this isn't enough I am cooking with liquid that seem to nullify my dry spice I like to us so much and the recipes I have found are ...........bland . Now I own several crockpot cookbooks none of which have had recipes I crave but I know it is possible . I have had amazing food from crockpots .

I bought a cookbook that looks more savory with some interesting looking recipes ( savory cornbread in a crockpot ) .

Do I need to give up or is the suggestions to rectify my problem ?

I like my shiny metallic red programable cauldren but is this the end ?



i am still alive and want to share a few more things .

Hello again :) sorry for the gap , life distractions and lack of money have kept me away but with an renewed sense of self and more creative ideas I am back to take a crack at this again .

so first off Holy Cannolis Batman !

Items may appear bigger in the picture than they really are :)

This is a cannoli with chocolate chips from

Holy Cannoli Wicked Italian Food Cart
on the corner of SE 52nd and Foster
www.HolyCannoliPDX.com

It runs about $2.50

I ran it by my NYC authority and i was told this isn't the real deal either in size nor ingredents
to which I say - ok forget about it !
I LOVE THESE CANNOLIS AS A DESSERT !
The flavor is stellar - many a person i have given one to have take a moment to close their eyes and savour the goodness of this amazing dessert ( so have I ).
DO NOT BE FOOLED BY IT'S SIZE -
although it looks small this is rich and quickly filling .

The comes in many flavors -
I have tried the orignal with chocolate chips several times
and the cinnamon - both amazing

I have been told I can custom order flavors and that they make a special order birthday cake cannoli :)
I will have to find an excuse to order some soon .

These guys are sweethearts and if i can ever get around to it I will order some food from their full menu . The meatball sandwich is calling me :)


Next up -
SESAME CHICKEN

Sometimes you just get cravings-

For me and most of my friends Chinese food is definitely one of them . It's hard for me  to find really good Chinese food in Portland ( unless of course I am in my buddy Roger's kitchen but that is a he's the real deal  ) so when i find a dish that it packed full of flavor even we the rest of their menu doesn't get it done ( it ok - some pretty good ) I have to put it out there .

Most sesame chicken i have eaten had no sauce - this is like General Tso's without the heat meets good sesame chicken that had no sauce .

You can find this at -

Wan Lung Chinese Restaurant

12062 Se Sunnyside Road

Clackamas , Oregon ( almost Happy Valley )

Finally - I celebrated the big 40 last weekend ( thnk you I am now officially older )

and what do you get the Food Geek that wants everything and that neither you or he can afford -

BACON - and shockingly my girl  got me a 5 lb package :) I was stunned !

( I have never personal owned so much bacon at one time )

complete with a bow :)

to which I had to respond Baby ,



 and jokingly I say to you ,

As many of you may know , I try to stay positive here . I do not like to waste my time talking about what I don't like or what I think didn't work - i do not want to be a food critic - I dispise them , they make the world a more evil place with their negativity . Experience life and form your own opinions , don't take my word for it , I am just a guide to try things , live your life your way . I just like to shed light on good stuff but one thing is so vile I have to shed light on it so you don't waste money on a gimmic -

This does not taste like the donut in beer , far from it . This taste like bad bacon dripping and beer . A waste of a pefectly good beer ( I like Rogue beers ) . The funny thing is if you took good maple bacon , cooked it , and mixed the dripping with the beer I would probably like it ( needs tomato juice ) but the was essesence , somethings wrong  bacon flavor - it sucked . The sad part is a I inflicted this pain on a friend before i tried it because I believed the hype - PARTY FOUL - violation of personal party rule , always try first before offering to others - citation issued ( Sorry Pat ) .

Now all of that said i may violate a steak and marinate with the rest because I hate to waste , a risk I am willing to take and this cool overpriced bottle will sit above my stove for me and guests to admire for that is one of my favorite doughnuts .

So...thanks for reading , hope to see you again soon .

Don't worry with a new phone in hand more powerful than my laptop and a new resolve , more to come :)



another trip to the belmont food pod - 44th and belmont

hanging with a friend and it was explained to me that the food pod  was something that hadn't been experienced so we head to one i am most familiar with - belmont foodpod

First stop creme de la creme . my friend informed me this place has been on food network so i said why not ?

So we decided here we were craving soup and the choices were spot on . a delectible french onion soup and my choice that really fed the need , soup of the day - lobster bisque and yes it did desrve the honor of being on food network .

Next stop is a personal favotire of mine - LARDO

this is a place where fat is understood and is made into savory goodness from heaven

These are trims of porkschetta - a little pork belly and a trim of pork fat

makes me smile and dance just thinking about it

this is organic pork finish fed with hazelnuts - yes you can taste the difference

and in the hands of this chef amazing porky goodness

Now if that isn't good enough

slap that on a cheeseburger with special house sauce

that was a crazy good burger

so now you are wondering

what are the having for dessert

that's right folks creme brulee

oh yeah

four bucks gets you a mini crock freshly torched

sooooooo good .

so i am sure you are ready for the dirty pic

my centerfold of food porn for this episode

but sorry guys

we ate them so quick i forgot the pic

Got lost in the heat of the moment

but i promise we will revisit this tasty treat

Eastwind Drive In - cascade locks , oregon

As many Oregonians I have made many trips to Multnomah Falls . After gazing at it's majesty i have to decide - what next ? For me i usually head 13 miles east to the town of Cascade Locks . Sitting on the left of the main drag is my destination - Eastwind Drive Inn . On a hot day there is no better place to grab some soft serve or a variety of treats . They also have a full menu of drive in fair that includes breakfast . So next time you are heading east from Portland consider this dining destination as part of your afternoon .

this is a medium half chocolate half vanilla

a small blue goo cone

butterfinger flurry

bambuza - had to go back with another friend

Got a call from a friend

after yesterday's post we had to go

we got the salad rolls

honey glazed pork bahn mi

friend got a sample last night and had to have one

still lovin it :)  

lean steak pho

pork shrimp won ton soup

pretty good and pho like

sweet with caramelized onion on top

Thank you Buddy for another great dinner shared with  friend

You are a rockstar :)

Next time will have to try the lobster tail won tons

i always forget