Interesting dining in Portland, Oregon

Portland may not be where the food truck culture started but the food trucks have taken it by storm. One nice thing about a food truck caravan is that everyone can have what they like.  I picked gyros, but there was soul food, mac and cheese, hamburgers and more. Some do so well they open up small

restaurants.  When I am in Portland I like to eat out as often as possible.  Why?  I live in Oswego where they can’t even keep a Thai restaurant going so I need to get my ethnic foodie fix somewhere else.  In Portland I can travel around the world one restaurant at a time.

On my “Wanna’ Visit Again Country List” is Morocco.  I have not

been to Marrakesh so instead I dined at the Marrakesh Restaurant where they have recreated the feeling of Marrakesh with Moroccan rugs, ornate silver urns, and dining in a sultan’s tent complete with belly dancers. You can enjoy shish kebabs and couscous – it is all yummy but the next time I go want to have the Royal Feast which includes a lamb cooked on a spit over a charcoal fire.  Don’t forget dessert. I love baklava. 

When a food cart become very successful the owners will often open up a storefront restaurant. Such is the case with Nong’s. Khao Man Gai is their specialty. It is chicken with jasmine rice, Thai herbs, and sauce of fermented soybeans, ginger, chilies and special house sauce.  There is even an instruction sheet on how to eat it.  Being in politically conscious Portland they “… make everything in house, pay our employees a living wage and offer health/dental insurance.” 

One of my favorite foods is pho (which is never can pronounce

correctly.  It is something like “fah”). It is the flavorful Vietnamese soup that is said to be “the soup that built a nation.”  They often have it several times a day but it is usually for breakfast. It is a broth with rice noodles, herbs and usually served with beef or chicken.   At Pho Van I got my pho fix.  I only speak English but when I travel to a foreign country I try to learn how to say “hello” and “thank you.” When the waitress served my pho I said “cam on ban” – it sounds like “come on” so it took her a minute to switch her brain back to Vietnamese.  When it registered she broke into a big smile.  

There are so many dining options in Portland that it is hard to decide where to eat.  I have only been to one Ethiopian restaurant and that was decades ago in Toronto so one night we decided on Ethiopian food at Enat Kitchen (mother’s kitchen). Eating Ethiopian is a social occasion. The food is served on a large platter covered with injera (soft spongy bread) with dollops of food on it.  To eat take a palm-size piece of the injera and scoop of the food.  It was all delicious. 

The most incredible meal was at Laan Bang (they are sold out

until September!). The 24-seat restaurant is located behind a bookcase inside a Thai restaurant. The 12-course tasting menu is unique.  With each item the staff gives a short dissertation about the food. It started with Totten Inlet oyster, caviar, fried shallot, aromatic broth, and herbs. My favorite was pheasant skewer, go-lac curry, charcoal oil, toasted rice power and pickles. 

Making raw fish salad - Malaysian style

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. For me the image of Borneo was one of the wildest jungles with unique wildlife and people still living in a very primitive manner. When John and I visited in January, I found Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, to be a lovely, modern city. Kuching means “cat” and it seems that the city was so named because the first non-Malays who visited the area saw a cat – most likely a civet – under a tree. Today the city is home to the world’s first Cat Museum. For nearly 100 years the area was governed by the Brooke family, called the White Rajahs of Sarawak. The area prospered under the White Rajahs. Outside the city it is possible to observe orangutans in the wild but most of them are rescued ones that stay close to the reserve even though they are not caged.

Most of Sarawak’s inhabitants belong to one of 27 ethnic groups. Less than an hour from Kuching is the Sarawak Cultural Village. It is a living history destination with houses of some of the ethnic groups. One of the houses we visited was a Melanau tall house that is entered by a log notched with steps that is easy to pull up preventing unwanted people from entering. However, it didn’t keep the macaques away as they were cavorting in the rainforest next to the house and on the tall poles supporting the house. The large house is home to several related families. Inside one lady was deep-frying thin slices of manioc root making Melanau-style “potato” chips.

The Melanau were one of the earliest settlers of Sarawak calling themselves "a-likou" meaning "people of the river.” They lived mainly along the rivers in the central coastal area of Sarawak where they built stilted houses thirty to forty feet above the ground and unlike other Borneo people they ate sago instead of rice. At the Village’s folkloric show the Melanau dance included one of the men being twirled atop a long bamboo pool. The performance evolved as a diversion while using the long poles to build their houses.

Just a short walk from the cultural village is Damai Beach Resort where we stayed. The resort offers free weekly cooking demonstrations that reflect the culinary diversity of the Sarawak people. At the beginning of the cooking demonstration Chef Sumardi greeted us in local fashion with his hand over his heart indicating that his greeting was heartfelt. One of the several recipes demonstrated was Melanau-style Raw Fish Salad.

Umai Ikan (raw fish salad)
1/ 2 lb fish, preferably red snapper fillet (cut into small pieces)
1/ 2 cup lime juice or calamansi juice
4 bird’s eye chilies (tiny green chilies)
1 turmeric leaf
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1/ 2 inch ginger
1 stalk of lemon grass
Salt to taste
Roasted sago pellets for garnish (optional)

Marinate fish in lime juice for at least 10 minutes. Put aside. Finely dice three bird’s eye chilies and slice the remaining one into a flower to be used as garnish. Thinly slice the turmeric leaf, shallots, garlic, ginger and lemon grass. Remove fish from the marinade. Place fish in a bowl and toss in the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. Garnish with chili flower and roasted sago pellets.

I love Vietnamese food so when John and I were in Saigon we attended a cooking class at the Vietnam Cooking Center. It turned out to be a good choice and excellent value. During the three-hour class we learned about Vietnamese culture, how to make several recipes, and it ended with a lunch of the food we cooked – all for $39 USD per person.

The class started out with Ms. Nhu, the interpreter, explaining the various ingredients, spices, and fruits typically used in preparing Vietnamese meals such as dragon fruit and tamarind. We learned about the Kitchen Gods, which are found in all traditional Vietnamese kitchens. It is believed that these gods observe everything that takes place during the year. At the end of the lunar year during the Tet festival, which occurs in late January or early February, the gods depart to make their report to Ngoc Hoang, the Jade Emperor, the supreme divinity of the Taoist Heaven. During that time the Kitchen Gods are offered the best food and spices and are presented with gifts of money and clothing.

During the class we prepared several recipes including Caramel Pork in Clay Pot, an everyday dish in the south of Vietnam, and Sweet Green Bean Soup with Seaweed, which is a typical dessert and even though it may not sound wonderful – it is!
Caramel Pork in Clay Pot
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, cubed in 1 inch pieces
1 /2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp sugar
1 /2 tsp powdered chicken bouillon
1/ 2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chopped shallots
1 tsp chopped scallions
1-inch long red or green chili chopped
1 cup water
1 small whole green or red chili for garnish
1 tbsp chopped scallion greens for garnish
Marinate pork in a mixture of oil, fish sauce, 2 tsps sugar, chicken powder, pepper, shallots, scallions and chili for 30 minutes. Soak the clay pot in water for 5 minutes to avoid breaking on the stove but any pot will do. Make a caramel syrup by putting oil in a second pot over medium heat, add 1 tsp sugar, and cook, stirring frequently till it dissolves and is golden brown. Remove from heat. In the clay pot add marinated pork and 1-2 tsp of caramel syrup. Cook until the sauce is boiling, stirring frequently. Pour water into the pot and cook until the mixture is boiling again. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened. Remove from stove, garnish with a chili and scallions. Serve with rice. Serves 2-3.

Sweet Green Bean Soup and Seaweed
1 /2 cup mung beans (substitute soy beans, chickpeas, or yellow lentils) soak for
1 hour
1 cup water
1-2 tbsp sugar
1/ 2 tsp salt
2 oz seaweed, washed and julienned (substitute dry ear mushrooms – soak for 30
minutes and julienned)
2 oz canned coconut milk
After the beans have soaked for one hour, cook in 1 cup of water for 15-20 minutes until tender. To the beans add salt and sugar, more or less to one’s preference. Add seaweed and stir 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into serving bowls, and add 1/ 2 tbsp of coconut milk to each serving, and it is ready to enjoy. Another option is to serve it cold by pouring the mixture over crushed ice. Serves 2.

Make a Gingerbread House at River Edge Mansion

Gingerbread has been a holiday tradition for years. It was probably introduced into Europe around the 11th century by explorers returning from the Middle East. The tradition of making houses of gingerbread is believed to have started in the early 1800's when Germans began shaping their gingerbread into festive holiday creations. During the nineteenth century the Grimm brothers collected volumes of German fairy tales including one about Hansel and Gretel who, abandoned in the woods, find a fantastical gingerbread house covered in luscious treats. Gingerbread houses soon became a favorite Christmas tradition worldwide.

American recipes usually called for fewer spices than their European counterparts, often using ingredients that were only available regionally. Maple syrup gingerbreads were made in New England and sorghum molasses in the South. The German settlers in Pennsylvania stayed true to their original recipe.

To see beautifully created gingerbread houses head to the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse where their annual gingerbread display fills the second floor gallery with tantalizing aromas. The gallery is transformed into a festive 1800s street scene with over 40 gingerbread creations on display. Professional and amateur bakers are invited to enter their own gingerbread creation.

I stopped in at River Edge Mansion in Pennellville one afternoon and watched five teenage girls who were at staying at the B&B for a sleepover creating their very own gingerbread houses.

Cindy Jones, sister of the owner of the River Edge Mansion, gave the girls a choice of log cabin or Victorian gingerbread house styles. Starting with marzipan frosting and Cindy’s guidance the girls assembled their houses. “A little more marzipan here will make you house sturdier. Let it set a bit.” She advised. Then the creativity began. With a variety of candy and other confections each gingerbread house took on a wondrous look. Creating gingerbread houses is just one of the cooking experiences offered by River Edge Mansion.

Cindy Jones used the following recipes from the “Family Christmas Reader’s Digest Book” that was given to her by her mother over 20 years ago.

Gingerbread
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 teaspoons ginger

Melt shortening in a large saucepan and stir in sugar and molasses with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into molasses mixture using your hands to work it in completely. The dough will be soft and crumbly. Use as soon as possible or wrap and refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Roll the dough on the cookie sheets to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters or into shapes to be used for the gingerbread house. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Do not over bake.

The frosting is used to cement the house together and simulate icicles.
In a large bowl beat the first three ingredients until frothy.
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons water
3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is of spreading consistency. Add more sugar if necessary. The icing should be firm enough to hold a soft peak. Cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out. The icing may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Once the house is assembled any assortment of candies can be used to decorate the house.

Making Wife Cakes in Hong Kong

Hong Kong never fails to impress me. The airport is very nice but the best part is the transportation into the city. After exiting the baggage area there is a transfer desk where John and I purchased train tickets into the city. Without leaving the airport we boarded the fast, clean train for the 30-minute ride into Kowloon, one of the main districts of Hong Kong. Once the train arrived in Kowloon we took the elevator up one level to the bus that delivered us to our hotel. The bus is included in the ticket. It was smooth and hassle free which is important as our flight from JFK was 16 hours. Getting around Hong Kong is painless especially considering that Hong Kong is located on several islands. But between the bus, subway, and ferry systems it all works smoothly and senior citizens are half price.

Hong Kong is considered one of the world’s most expensive cities but the Hong Kong Tourist Board has one of the best tourist programs we have ever run across. Their Kaleidoscope program offers many free tours based on the culture, history, and nature of Hong Kong. We have taken several. This time we signed up for the Chinese Cake Making class. John and I joined eight other people at the Wing Wah Cake Shop to learn how to make Wife Cakes. Wife Cakes are actually made by men for their wives. It seems that long ago a wife sold herself into servitude to get money to pay for medical treatment for her father-in-law. The husband was so impressed by her sacrifice and wanted his wife back so he created the Wife Cake which he sold in the market. They became very popular so he was able to earn enough money to buy back his wife.

Most of the Kaleidoscope programs are free but the junk boat ride cost about $5. It is the only authentic junk boat still plying the waters of Victoria Harbor. The views of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island from the junk boat are incredible. Hong Kong Island is lined with skyscrapers that continue back from the waterfront and seem to climb up the mountain. The average residential skyscraper is home to between one and two thousand people.

The junk boat, named Duk Ling, dropped us on Hong Kong Island where a short walk took us to Exchange Square where we caught a bus to Stanley, best known for its bargain market. Hong Kong is a shopper’s delight offering everything from the most exclusive shops to unbelievable bargains.

We spent our first three nights at the InterContinental right on the waterfront. Each morning at 6:30 we met Master William Ng on the pool terrace for a free Tai Chi exercise class. From our room we are able to watch the nightly laser light show emanating from both sides of the harbor

The last three nights we spent in the Peninsula Hotel, considered the best hotel in the world. They have a fleet of Rolls Royce cars to serve their guests, their own helicopter, and just added two Mini Coopers, which they say are perfect for shopping trips. Walking into the Peninsula’s pillared lobby is like walking into another era. The in-house musicians play while people enjoy afternoon tea. No matter how many times we visit Hong Kong there is always something great to see and do.

Dubai's Heritage Village

Dubai is considered an expensive destination but it doesn’t have to be. When John and I were in Dubai our favorite evening turned out to be our least expensive. After wandering through the spice souk with it aromatic smells we hopped on board a water taxi and crossed Dubai Creek for about 25 cents.

We strolled along the waterfront promenade to the Heritage Village where admission is free. The living museum had a tented Bedouin village, camel rides, children performing traditional dances, weavers, and an exhibition of traditional cooking techniques.

While I was asking the lady sitting on a rattan mat what she was cooking a lady dressed in a traditional abaya and sheyla with a veil bought one of the crepe-like items and wordlessly offered it to me, which I graciously accepted. The cook was wearing a Gulf burqa, which in Dubai is a seldom-seen face covering of metallic-looking cloth.

I watched the cook pour the batter on a flat frying pan creating something similar to a crepe. When it was cooked she cracked an egg on top, spread it around, and then did the same with the cream cheese. Near her another lady was deep-frying what looked like donut holes which were slathered in syrup before serving. John and I bought treats from both ladies for about one dollar each. We sat down to enjoy our “dinner” next to a man in a white kandura. He asked, “How do you like them? You will never find these in a restaurant but my wife makes it all the time.” The food and the evening were wonderful.

Chabab (also called Shebab)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. melted butter
Plus one egg and one wedge of cream cheese for each chabab

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Make a well in the center and add the egg and egg yolk.
Slowly pour in the half of the milk, stirring constantly, then stir in the melted butter.
Beat until smooth.
Add the remaining milk, cover, and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The batter should be the consistency of light cream.
Pour a thin layer evenly over a flat frying pan.
Cook until dry and turn over.
Break one egg on top and spread it quickly over the surface.
Spread cream cheese over top.
In about a minute it was folded in quarters and ready to serve.

Looqemat

Dumplings:
3 1/2 cups plain flour - sifted
1/4 ounce plain dried yeast
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
corn oil (for frying)
NB: some recipes call for chopped onions, parsley, and a variety of spices but not the ones we had.

Syrup (or use honey):
2 cups sugar
1cup water
1 lemon, juice of lemon squeezed
Mix Sugar and water, when it thickens add lemon, and bring to a boil.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water, add sugar and set aside until the mixture rises and foams.
Beat rest of the ingredients, except the flour, into the yeast mixture.
Gradually beat in the flour until the mixture becomes a sticky batter
Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place to rise, approximately 1.5 hours.
Drop spoonfuls of dough in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain and while still hot dip in syrup.