Virtual holiday cookies for you...

A bit too busy this year to make the real things. From my "au natural" designer gingerbread cookies to yours...best wishes for the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Cowpoke Scalloped Potatoes

Over the years - when it comes to any Thanksgiving, Christmas or autumn/winter dinner party - there have been more requests for me to contribute my scalloped potatoes to meals than any other recipe I have ever prepared. I'll be making Cowboy Jeffie's Cowpoke Three-Cheese Scalloped Potatoes for Christmas Day dinner this week.

I first started making scalloped potatoes as an elementary school kid. My mom felt is was important for my sister, two brothers and I to learn how took. She taught me to make her scalloped potato dish from memory - there was no recipe written down.

Cowboy Jeffie's Cowpoke Three-Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

My own recipe takes Mom's dish up a couple notches by adding other cheese options to her cheddar-only concoction. Still, each time I prepare the potatoes, I am taken back to the holiday feasts of my childhood.

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese - sharpness to personal taste (about 8 ounces)
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 2.5 ounces)
1 cup of a third cheese (crumbled blue cheese, swiss, Monterey Jack or crumbled gorgonzola - about 6 ounces)
5-6 medium-sized russet potatoes - peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 medium yellow onion - sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter - crumbled or cut into about 1/4 inch cubes
3 1/2 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly butter or cooking spray a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.

2. Mix cheddar cheese, Parmesan and third selected cheese in small bowl.

3. Arrange third of potato slices in a prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly.

4. Arrange half of onion slices over potatoes.

5. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

6. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over ingredients.

7. Dot with a third of the butter.

8. Sprinkle a third of cheese mixture over ingredients.

9. Repeat steps 3-8

10. Top with remaining potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, remaining butter and remaining cheese. (You may wish to add some additional grated Parmesan for a bit more of a crunch crust on top)

11. Pour milk over potatoes. Milk should fill dish half to two-thirds of depth and will not cover potatoes completely (above). (Cooking time can be shortened by heating milk in microwave or a sauce pan prior to pouring over ingredients in dish.)

Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and cheese is deep golden brown, usually just over 1 hour. (Can be prepared several hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Cover and rewarm in 375°F oven about 20 minutes.) Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Cowboy Jeffie's Cowpoke Three-Cheese Scalloped Potatoes are always great warmed up another day - if there are any leftovers.

Enjoy!

Check out other Cowboy Jeffie recipes.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Confetti Chicken Chili

The season of rain, cold and fog has arrived. It's time to take my annual designerly turn in the kitchen and make a big pot of my colorful confetti chicken chili.

Cowboy Jeffie's Confetti Chicken Chili
(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

This is a recipe I adapted (and re-adapted) from one published in Parade Magazine many years ago. It was kind of boring and colorless. The graphic designer in me changed many of the ingredients to make it a colorful and interesting dish. A few years ago I originally posted a version of this recipe on bLog-oMotives. This is my latest incarnation of Cowboy Jeffie's Confetti Chicken Chili. It can be served as a meal, with fresh bread or corn muffins, heated in the winter or cold in the summer. It is somewhat time consuming to prepare, but the results are more than worth the effort. Guests who have been served this dish at our home are always requesting a repeat performance when dining with us again.

The "confetti" of my chili: Diced red peppers, orange peppers, yellow peppers, green zucchini and yellow squash.

3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions - chopped
2 tablespoons garlic - coarsely chopped
3 - 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cubed
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
1 cup chicken stock or chicken bouillon
1 can (28 oz.) stewed tomatoes (whole or chopped) - drained
(save liquid)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (5 3/4 oz.) black olives - sliced
1 medium-sized green zucchini - thinly sliced and quartered
1 medium-sized yellow zucchini - thinly sliced and quartered
3 bell peppers (select three different colors - I have found green, white,
red, yellow, orange and purple), cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 can (27 oz.) red kidney beans - drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans - drained
Fresh lemon or lime juice (from one lemon of lime)
Nonfat yogurt or sour cream (optional garnish)
Grated cheddar cheese (optional garnish)
Fresh cilantro (optional garnish)

Chili nearing completion on the stove.

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil for about 5 minutes.

2. Add cubed chicken breasts and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth or bouillon and continue cooking.

3. Add all your spices - chili powder, cumin, curry powder, oregano, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, Tabasco red pepper flakes and black pepper - and stir well into the chicken/onion mixture. Allow to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes - stirring occasionally. This makes for fairly hot chili. For a milder chili cut back on the curry powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes or Tabasco sauce to your own taste. Don’t cut back on the chili powder - it adds flavor, not hotness.

4. Add stewed tomatoes to the mixture, allowing tomatoes to cook down for about 10 minutes (this is a good time to get all the peppers and zucchini prepared). Use the reserve liquid later to thin down the chili before serving if necessary.

5. Add the olives, zucchini, peppers and tomato sauce to the pan and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.

6. 15 - 20 minutes prior to serving add the kidney beans and allow to heat thoroughly.

7. Just prior to serving add the fresh lemon/lime juice and stir through the sauce. This adds a freshness to the chili and takes the “edge” off the hotness. Add the reserve tomato liquid to thin down the chili if necessary.

8. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, fresh cilantro and/or grated cheddar cheese prior to serving.

The chili is even better reheated the next day - or served cold on a hot summer day.

Enjoy!

Check out other Cowboy Jeffie recipes.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Picnic Pardner Potato Salad

With the arrival of summer comes many requests for me to contribute my potato salad to summer potlucks and picnics. I thought I would once again share my recipe for Cowboy Jeffie's Picnic Pardner Potato Salad.

(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

As a kid, I always enjoyed visiting with my grandma in her kitchen as she made the potato salad for a family BBQ. (We'd often gather in their Medford, Oregon backyard, in the shade of the big old trees, to celebrate the Fourth of July and other summer events.) There was something magical watching her slice, dice and mix all the elements of her salad without the benefit of measuring the required ingredients - or even looking at a cookbook or one of her hand-written recipe cards. Over the years I've made the spud salad so many times the recipe is stored in my brain. However, a few years ago I took the time to measure all of the ingredients and write it down to share with others.

Cowboy Jeffie's Picnic Pardner Potato Salad
(serves 8-10 people)

10 red potatoes (boiled 30-40 minutes - or until a fork/knife can poke easily - and cut into bite-sized pieces)
6-7 eggs (hard boiled, sliced and diced)
1 medium onion (diced finely)
3 stalks celery (sliced thinly)
3-4 sweet or dill pickles (optional - diced finely)
Sliced black olives (optional - sometimes added for a little variety)

I usually boil the potatoes and eggs in the same pan and take the eggs out after 20 minutes. The eggs are immediately put into a ice water bath to cool. I continue boiling the potatoes until they are tender and also cool them in an ice water bath before cutting into small bite-sized pieces (leaving the skin on). All ingredients are mixed together in large bowl before adding the dressing

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons gourmet mustard (I use Grey Poupon or Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon pickle juice
3-4 tablespoons cider vinegar

Mix all dressing ingredients together well and pour over salad fixings. Mix well and store in fridge prior to serving. It's always best if allowed to sit in fridge for at least a couple hours. Mix well again before actually serving. You may want to add additional salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Check out other Cowboy Jeffie recipes.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

St. Croix vacation poolside reading list

Several longtime bLog-oMotives readers have pointed out that I have become a lax in posting my vacation reading lists as a resource for book suggestions. I apologize for my tardiness in providing such a list. Upon returning from over two weeks away, catching up seems to take a priority to the many things I'd like to be accomplishing.

Here's what I read during my March 2009 vacation to St. Croix:

• Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France, by Georgeanne Brennan • In preparation for a 2010 trip to Paris, and the south of France, I've been reading travel and food writing of the country. This book is a great record of an American family living on a farm in Provence and making the most of local relationships, customs, food and experiences. It also provides some great recipes.

• A Place of my Own: The Architecture of Daydreams, by Michael Pollard • I've always enjoyed Pollard's food writing. This tale, of his need to build a space of his own in which to work and relax, is very different than his previous books - but no less enjoyable. I wonder when I will build that studio above our garage?

• Venetian Stories, by Jane Turner Rylands • Venice is one of my favorite places to visit. I could return again and again. This book, written by the spouse of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection director (one of my favorite Venice museums)is like taking a walk along the canals and eavesdropping on all along the way. Each short story is somehow linked to others in the book. The sequel, Across the Bridge of Sighs: More Venetian Stories, is already on my nightstand.

• The Whole Truth, by David Baldacci • Our friend Bonnie, the owner of the house in which we stay in St. Croix, is an avid reader. When we arrive each year, there is a stack of books she's left behind. This Baldacci book was among that selection. It was an enjoyable, fast read - but it did come across a bit too much as the possible treatment for a movie.

• Death of an Englishman, by Magdalen Nabb (A Marshal Guarnaccia Investigation) • Death of a Dutchman, by Magdalen Nabb (A Marshal Guarnaccia Investigation) • Prior to leaving for vacation I visited one of my favorite local bookstores, Murder by the Book. In visiting with the proprietor, I mentioned that I enjoyed mysteries set in places where I have, or may, travel. She asked if I'd ever read any Magdalen Nabb books - and then told me they had none of them in stock. However, I was able to find used copies of the first two at Powells. The books, set in Florence, Italy (another favorite vacation spot), are detailed, well-crafted tales eventually solved by Marshal Guarnaccia. I'm currently reading the third in the series, Death in Springtime.

• The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles, by Jeff Martin • Not your usual business book. This volume is a collection of hilarious stories of situations that the authors have experienced while working in primarily retail situations. Anybody who has ever had a somewhat miserable retail job will appreciate the book.

• End Games, by Michael Dibdin (An Aurelio Zen Mystery) • I was saddened by the 2007 death of Michael Dibdin; due to the loss of a great Pacific Northwest writer and the end of the Aurelio Zen mystery series. Over the last 15 years I've read the intriguing 11 books, which give the reader an insider's look into the Italian way of life - and death. End Games did not disappoint; other than being the last from Dibdin.

• The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food, by Judith Jones • This was my favorite vacation read of all. In fact, I've been recommending it to friends and buying it as a gift for others. Cookbook editor (and writer) Judith Jones has led a fascinating life. For over 50 years, as an editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf, she has introduced readers to many culinary stars, including Julia Child, Marcella Hazan and Edna Lewis. Personally, I wish she'd spent much more time writing. The Tenth Muse tells all the juicy stories and thankfully provides the recipes to many of the dishes described throughout the book. Ed enjoyed the book so much it was filled with bookmarks when we got home. Four of the marked pages listed cookbooks that Jones edited for a variety of interesting cooks and chefs. I was able to track down used copies of three of the books for his birthday. One of them was released the year he was born.

• The Immaculate Deception, by Iain Pears (Jonathan Argyll Art History Mystery Series) • This book is the last in a series I've been reading over the past few months. Iain Pears has combined Italian locales, mystery, art, art history and great characters to create one of the best collection of books I've read in some time.

Vacations also give me an opportunity to catch up on the stacks of magazines constantly growing around my home. When you receive over 30 subscriptions a month it's difficult to keep up. On this trip I was able to take along copies of the following: Oregon Home, Out, Portfolio, Vanity Fair (each year I take the thick Hollywood issue on vacation), Entrepreneur (which included an article citing me as a design and branding expert), Fortune Small Business, Seattle Business, Fast Company, This Old House, Garden Design, and HOW.

Our annual trips to St. Croix are about relaxing. The island doesn't offer a great deal in the way of nightlife; especially when staying in a beachfront home outside of Christiansted. We usually take some movies, or DVD boxed sets of seasons of a television show, for nightly viewing. On this trip we watched two seasons - 44 episodes - of the highly entertaining Boston Legal.

The end of one vacation often means we start planning for the next. I suppose I should begin putting together the library for our annual summer gold-mining trip in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Paniolo Papaya Salsa

(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

Vacations are not necessarily conducive to blogging, but they are a necessity for sanity in one's life. Two weeks in Hawaii is a heavenly way to celebrate - or avoid - the holiday season. We stayed in an incredible home on the Kona Coast side of the Big Island, with five acres of avocados and fruit/citrus trees. Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, guava, figs, starfruit and more were on the property. What we couldn't find outside the house was available at the Kona Farmers' Market. Cowboy Jeffie went Hawaiian as 2008 came to an end. By the way a paniolo is an island cowboy.

Cowboy Jeffie's Paniolo Papaya Salsa

1 medium yellow onion - diced finely
(You may use a red onion to add color and spiciness)
1 papaya - peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
(mango may be substituted if desired)
2 medium tomatoes - quartered, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch squares
1/2 habanero chile pepper - seeded and diced into tiny pieces
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - rough cut
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of one fresh lime
Salt to taste
Cilantro to garnish

Prepare all the ingredients as noted and simply dump into a mixing bowl. Do take care in handling the habanero. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after having any contact with the pepper. Stir well before pouring into a serving dish and garnishing with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. It's best if your salsa sits in the fridge for a few hours before serving - and it's even better the next day. We used the salsa as a compliment to grilled fresh marlin - and with corn chips the following days.

You might also want to check out my other Cowboy Jeffie recipes.

Enjoy!

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Chef Jeff learns to make sushi

Although I do cook quite a bit, my partner Ed Cunningham is the true chef in our household. This week Ed, the business manager for the local office of the law firm Holland & Knight, coordinated the annual summer associates activity in the form of a Japanese-inspired cooking class at In Good Taste in Portland's Pearl District. Attorneys, staff, spouses (that would include me as the "corporate wife") and friends got a hands-on lesson in making sushi.

(From left to right: Law clerk Andy Schlegel, Chef Ivy Manning, yours truly and Andy's wife Kendra preparing sushi at In Good Taste.)

Food writer, cooking instructor and personal chef Ivy Manning prepared a great menu for the evening of Sesame Noodles with Asparagus, Miso Soup, Thai Vegetable Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce, California Inside Out Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Japanese Eggplant with Miso Glaze, and Grilled Fresh Albacore Tuna with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes. Manning demonstrated how to make the sushi and then we divided up into three groups; each given the assignment of making one of the sushi rolls on the menu.

My teammates and I were responsible for making the Thai Vegetable Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce. The whole process was surprisingly easy and fun. It's somewhat embarrassing that Ed and I have all the sushi-making tools at home and never used them in the past. Making sushi would be a great excuse to have a participatory dinner party.

Chef Ivy prepared all of the other dishes as she explained the recipes (which we were provided) and offered helpful tips. Throughout the evening we were served a sparkling wine, two white wines and local sake - ingredients that always contribute to a successful cooking event. Following a dessert of raspberry sorbet with fresh fruit, we were all presented the surprise treat of the evening - autographed copies of Ivy Manning's new cookbook, The Farm to Table Cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally.

The evening was an incredibly enjoyable and educational experience for this "corporate wife."

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Happy holidays...

...from my "au natural" designer gingerbread cookies to yours...

Best wishes for the holiday season and the new year!

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Buona sera from Segromigno in Monte

There hasn't been much on the bLog-oMotives front lately because we've been in Italy for the past week. Home base is a beautiful house in Segromigno in Monte outside of Lucca in Tuscany. Last night we got back from three days in Venice - and I'm the third member of our four-person travel group that has come down with some kind of flu-ish bug. I'm glad we're going to be hanging out at Casa Mennone the next few days and seeing just how much of nothing we can accomplish. Hopefully we will get out to explore a bit more in the coming week. Now we're enjoying reading, home-cooked meals, great wine and napping in the sun.

I've posted some of our photos from the past week on my Flickr page.

Arrivederci!

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A great weekend in the Bay Area & Napa Valley

This past week my partner Ed and I treated ourselves to a long weekend and jetted down to Benicia, CA to spend a few days with my sister and her husband, AJ. The get-together was to celebrate Ed's April birthday, my May birthday, Sue's June 50th birthday, and Sue and AJ's recent wedding.

We always enjoy our visits to Benicia. We usually fly into Sacramento, and drive the 45-50 minutes to my sister's home, rather than flying into San Francisco and dealing with greater traffic. Benicia is a great small town, with lots of art galleries, excellent restaurants and artist studios. It's also just a short drive to the Napa and Sonoma wine areas.

On Friday evening, Sue and AJ took us out to dinner at the Pear Street Bistro in the nearby city of Pinole. They had previously eaten at the establishment after seeing it reviewed on an episode of the Check, Please! Bay Area television show. After having a very positive experience, Sue and AJ thought we would enjoy a meal at the restaurant - and they were right.

On Saturday the four of us had planned on spending the day in Napa, coming home for naps and then Ed was going to prepare a seven-course Italian feast for us all. Unfortunately, AJ got called into work at the last moment. Sue, Ed and I didn't let that stop us from heading up to Napa. Our first stop was for an incredible lunch on the grounds of the V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. The Italian deli at the winery has over 200 different cheese, excellent cured meats, fresh bread and lots of other goodies. Lunch at a picnic table under a 200-year-old oak tree was a fun way to start our day.

After our meal, Sue suggested we stop by the Wine Country Inn to check things out. She and AJ got married on the grounds of the beautiful bed and breakfast this past April. While she and I were enjoying the view of the vineyards from the deck of the main building, Ed was pawing through the Inn's recipe files to see if he could find some items to make at a later date. We had a nice walk around the grounds and then it was time to head off to our primary destination.

My sister is a huge fan of the sparkling wines of the Schramsberg Vineyards. She's been to the winery, originally established by German immigrant Jacob Schram in 1862, on several occasions and always has a supply of their wines ready to be served at her home. We were on the schedule for a tour of the wine caves, carved from mountainside by Chinese laborers, and a tasting that afternoon.

If you didn't know where you were going you would probably drive right by the private road up to Schramsberg - and then the road is currently under construction making it a bit of a challenge to get up to the appointment- only winery. Rounding the final corner you immediately get a beautiful view of the Victorian home Jacob and Annie Schram had built by a ship builder (without the use of a single nail) in 1880. Being a gardener, I had an immediate appreciation for the grounds of the winery with its lush vegetation; pond with lily pads, frogs and koi; and the sculptures in the gardens.

In the visitors center we met Tom, who would be our guide for the tour of the winery and caves. He was soon giving us a fascinating Schramsberg history lesson, including the fact that Schramsberg sparkling wines have been served 72 times at the White House - most recently for the white tie dinner in honor of the state visit of Queen Elizabeth. Although I have visited many wineries, including others making sparkling wines, our guide's presentation on the classic méthode champenoise was very engaging and interesting. It's hard to believe that the earthquake-proof caves currently house 2.5 million bottles of sparkling Schramsberg (The large photo above is one of the walls of bottles of aging sparkling wine). The tour of the cool caves was especially enjoyable with the heat outdoors. The lessons in proper opening of a sparkling wine, and the proper serving temperature, were fun and educational.

The tastings, conducted by candlelight in the caves, were great. We were each given four good-sized flutes of the excellent selections of various Chardonnay-based Blanc de Blancs and Pinot Noir-based Reserve, Blanc de Noirs and Brut Rosé. Each was exceptional, and I now join my sister as a major fan of the Schramsberg Vineyards. Our experience at Schramsberg is one of the best I've had at any winery I've ever visited.

After the heat, the wine, and the long afternoon we decided it best to head back to Benicia for our naps before Ed needed to start preparing his seven course meal. When we arrived at the house, AJ had returned from work and he presented Ed a special gift bottle of Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon to be served with dinner - which had been delivered via FedEx earlier that morning.

We had a wonderful evening. Our meal began with an antipasti of Pizzeti con carciofi, salami and a selection of olives. The primi piatti was a Ribollita followed by Linguini al pesto. An amazing Chicken Parmigiana was our secondi, with a contorni of Spinachi con pinole e uva passa. The insalata mista prepared us for the final course. Our dolce was goat cheese turnovers with honey and pistachios - served with a properly chilled Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2001.

I do think it was the first time I had ever completed a dinner at 1:00 a.m.

(A few more photos of this trip are posted here)

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Colorful Chuckwagon Cole Slaw

(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

It's that family picnic or summer BBQ time of the year. We just got back from a beautiful outdoor party in Albany, OR to celebrate the 90th birthday of Ed's grandmother Neva and the 95th birthday of her sister Wilma. For the third time in about two weeks I was asked to make my colorful version of cole slaw for the buffet of summer salads. With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Cowboy Jeffie's Colorful Chuckwagon Cole Slaw

2/3 cup sweet onion - diced finely
(You may use a red onion if you like your slaw spicier)
1-1/2 cups grated carrot
2 cups purple cabbage - diced to pieces smaller than 1/4 inch
4 cups green cabbage - diced to pieces smaller than 1/4 inch

Mix thoroughly in a large bowl until the colors are combined well. (Note: If I'm in a hurry I will use a food processor to diced all ingredients. However, I do prefer a rough cut with a knife.)

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix in a measuring cup or small bowl until smooth. Pour over your mixed slaw fixings and stir well to coat everything. Don't add any additional salt to season unless you want to do before serving - it will draw the water out of your cabbage and make your cole slaw soupy. Stir well before serving to mix things up nicely. It's best if your slaw sits in the fridge for a few hours before serving - and it's even better the next day.

You might also want to check out my recipes for:

• Cowboy Jeffie's Kickin' Caesar Salad Dressing

• Cowboy Jeffie's Picnic Pardner Potato Salad

• Cowboy Jeffie's Confetti Chicken Chili

• Cowboy Jeffie's Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick

Enjoy!

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

My nightstand is buried with books

On the HOW Design Forum, a couple days ago, HOWie "kimburgerly" started a thread about summer reading lists. There's always a stack of books next to my nightstand for reading before I sleep each night. I posted my current selections on the HOW forum and thought I'd share it here as well.

Now that I'm finished writing Identity Crisis! I'm really in reading mode. I just devoured Suffer the Little Children, by Donna Leon. With all her books set in Venice, I feel like I'm walking the streets of the city while I'm reading the books. Right now I'm in the middle of Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods - it's one of the Stone Barrington books that I find to be mindless pleasures.

For my birthday last week I got several books that moved to the head of my upcoming reading list:

• A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini - I thought The Kite Runner was incredible and I'm really looking forward to this book.

• Come Alive!: The Spirited Art of Sister Corita, by Julie Ault

• The Grail: A year ambling & shambling through an Oregon vineyard in pursuit of the best pinot noir wine in the whole wild world, by Brian Doyle. Brian is a friend of a friend - and the editor of the college magazine at University of Portland

• The Overlook, by Michael Connelly - another of my mindless, guilty pleasure authors

Still in the pile next to my nightstand:

• My Life in France, by Julia Child

• Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide, by Dario Castagno

• Comfort Me With Apples, by Ruth Reichl - her other books were all great.

Work-wise I've been reading:

• The Graphic Designer's Guide to Better Business Writing, by Barbara Janoff and Ruth Cash-Smith

By the way, kimbugerly's posted suggestion of Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, is a good one. I had been told it was a "chick" book. Still, I found her writing about travels to Italy, India and Bali fascinating.

Happy summer reading!

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Kickin' Caesar Salad Dressing

(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

Last night I had a big garlicky chicken Caesar salad, and a nice glass of Routas Wild Boar White, for dinner. It reminded my that, after numerous requests from friends to make my Caesar dressing, I needed to take the time to measure all ingredients for the first time, record my findings and share the recipe. Many people don't want to use a traditional Caesar dressing recipe - with the raw egg - for personal taste or health reasons. My creation is a great substitute with a big kick of flavor.

Cowboy Jeffie's Kickin' Caesar Salad Dressing

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
4 medium-sized cloves of fresh garlic (crushed - about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 2-3 anchovies in oil)
3 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to taste)

Put all ingredients into a mini food processor or blender and pulse/blend until smooth. Use as much on salad as desired to personal taste. Remainder of dressing may be kept in the refrigerator, in an airtight container (or everything in your fridge will smell/taste like garlic), for up to a week.

You might also want to check out my recipes for Cowboy Jeffie's Picnic Pardner Potato Salad, Cowboy Jeffie's Confetti Chicken Chili and Cowboy Jeffie's Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick. Enjoy!

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

DiPrima Dolci has got it covered

After being on vacation for over two weeks, my partner and I returned to a huge tub of snail mail. I was sorting through the stack of magazines and catalogs when I came across a pleasant surprise. There was a great photo of our friend Pat DiPrima-LeConche, owner of the North Portland neighborhood hotspot DiPrima Dolci Italian Bakery (1936 N. Killingsworth St.), on the cover of the well-designed Portland State Magazine - referencing the article We Mean Business: Helping new entrepreneurs get started. Ed, a PSU alum, gets the magazine from the university three times a year.

DiPrima Dolci, which I referred to as one of my home studio conference rooms in my first book, was a pioneer in the ongoing business and culinary renaissance of Killingsworth Street. These days it's a community institution and meeting place. (Pat and her husband Robin have become great friends of ours over the past few years. She even made our wedding cake - and they attended the event - when we got married back in 2004.) However, the early days of starting the successful business were not necessarily easy.

"Opening a bakery isn't a piece of cake, let me tell you," Diprima-LeConche is quoted as saying in the article. "The (PSU) Business Outreach Program was so much more helpful than the Small Business Administration."

She adds that she "literally would not have a business today without their help."

The work of the PSU Business Outreach Program (BOP) is the focus of the magazine piece, and DiPrima Dolci is just one of their hundreds of success stories. BOP director Gary Brown and his students helped the trained baker write her business plan, fill out loan applications, and develop her marketing and advertising plans.

For over a decade the BOP has helped more than 400 businesses get a proper start, with 52 percent of those ventures being minority owned and 50 percent being owned by women. In addition, over 1000 students have received real-world business consulting experience while participating in the educational program. Years ago I spoke about graphic design as a business tool to one of the classes.

In the article, BOP director Gary Brown is quoted as saying, "Most small business owners have a dream. What most of them find is that translating that dream into a successful reality is harder than they think it's going to be. That's where this program comes in."

Anyone in the process of starting a new business, or in the planning stages of such a venture, should research similar programs in their local area. Universities and community colleges across the country have programs designed to assist entrepreneurs with startups. When I was in college, back in the late 1970's at the University of Oregon, advertising and marketing classes adopted new and existing business as class projects. The businesses and the students benefited a great deal in the process.

Although Diprima-LeConche's experience with the SBA was less than ideal, I do know many business owners who have been given great advice, and directed to additional valuable resources, through the agency. Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and the organization SCORE are also possible sources of advice, information and handholding for the novice business owner.

I do want to acknowledge writer Jeff Kuechle, and photographers Steve Dipaola and Randall Lee, for their work on the excellent Portland State Magazine article. And now I think it's time for me to head over to DiPrima Dolci for an espresso drink and cannoli.

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A reading list for poolside enjoyment - Part deux

Last year when I returned from two weeks in St. Croix I posted the list of books I'd read by the pool. This year, before I even left for the annual trip, people were already asking what I planned on ready. To be honest, the stack of books for this trip came together at the last minute with trips to Powell's and Borders the day before we left for the Caribbean.

For the most part, the reading list for 2007 was made up of books about food, about wine, about travel, or about food, wine and travel. Although I didn't leave the beachfront house for an initial period of seven days, I was not quite the reading maniac this year. Part of my vacation, with PowerBook as carry-on luggage, was spent finishing my own upcoming book, Identity Crisis! Somehow I ended up coming home with several books that had not even been cracked open.

Just prior to the trip, my friend Mary suggested that I read A Thousand Days in Venice, by Marlena De Blasi. Venice is one of my favorite places in the world. We plan on visiting the city again this fall. The author's writing took me there - I could smell the food, flowers and stinky canal water; I had been to many of the locations mentioned, and I'd walked the streets the author traveled. In her second book De Blasi and her husband move to a small village in Tuscany. A Thousand Days in Tuscany transports the reader there. As I usually stay in similar villages in Umbria, near the border of Tuscany, I could relate to many of the events and experiences described in the book - and look forward to being there again this year.

Our friend Carol (who has been our housecleaning person for over 12 years) recommended that I read Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert, even though she considered it a bit of a "chick book." She thought I would find the writing about food, travel, culture and spirituality interesting. It was a great book about the author's stays in each of the geographic locations. The reader can almost gain the 30+ pounds the writer put on while eating her way through Italy by reading of her experiences. Still, I'm not sure I can forgive GIlbert for not personally liking Venice. Having only been to Bombay (now Mumbai) in India, I found the writer's search for spirituality on a remote ashram a great contrast to my own experiences. I've always wanted to visit Bali and surrounding islands. Gilbert provided an excellent introduction to the culture of the island. Although I did occasionally want to yell "Snap out of it!" at the author, for being whiny about her life, I did enjoy the book and her search for solutions to the personal issues she was facing.

Two years ago, while in St. Croix, I read J. Maarten Troost's hilarious book The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific, about living on Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati, for two years. This year I packed, and thoroughly enjoyed, his follow-up book, Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu. In this segment of his life, Troost and his wife, Sylvia, move from Washington, D.C., to Vanuatu, a nation made up of 83 islands in the South Pacific. "Getting stoned" refers to the altered state and pleasure he gets from drinking kava with the locals (I've had it before and the "high" is a bit bizarre.). The adventures, and misadventures, of the couple make a great read.

I interrupted the travel and food literary itinerary long enough to finally read Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain, by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield. Yes, I actually took a graphic design book on vacation with me. A few years ago, in San Diego, Wendy interviewed me for the book at the HOW Design Conference. I was honored to be included in the book as one of a dozen industry professional profiles surrounded by great creative exercises. It was great to finally have the opportunity to read the book without the static of my normal work life. Every designer should get themselves a copy.

Many years ago I read a very rough draft of my friend Don Horn's book, Crumbs of Love: And That's All You're Ever Going To Get. He gave me a copy of the published book just after the first of the year. It's an amazing story of his early life, growing up in an incredibly dysfunctional family. The travel in the book is in the form of long-distance road trips, the food is far from gourmet and the accommodations are certainly not luxurious. I'm so proud of him for getting the book completed and out there for others to read. My partner Ed, and out travel companions Lisa and Bev, were all stunned and fascinated by the book.

I've always loved great writing and the New York Times restaurant reviews of critic Ruth Reichl were always a feast of words. Her book, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, was the most enjoyable I read on my vacation this year. In addition to be an excellent writer, Reichl is a fantastic storyteller. I'm looking forward to a visit to Powell's to pick up her other books.

At a movie in January I saw the previews for a film called The Namesake and it caused me to seek out the book on which the film is based. Jhumpa Lahiri, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her book Interpreter of Maladies, is the author of the novel The Namesake. It's an incredible look into the cultural conflicts within one family, with one root of the family tree in India and another in the United States. As in many of the books I read while in the Caribbean, food and travel play a large role in the story. Lahiri's writing is so fine, I'm no longer sure I want to see the movie. I think any film adaptation may ruin the experience I had reading the book.

Shortly before leaving for our trip, Ed and I had a wonderful evening with our friends Bob and Norma. The conversation usually turns to books when we get together as Bob is an accomplished writer in his own right, having published his holiday story collection Mardi Gras at the Monastery And Other Stories, and the historical non-fiction books Fire Mission!: The Siege at Mortain and Enemy North, South, East, West. When Norma asked what I was currently reading, I explained that I was in the middle of the excellent Thomas Jefferson on Wine by John Hailman. She replied that I simply must read what she was currently enjoying - Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Donald and Petie Kladstrup. I took the book on the trip and it is an amazing history lesson on war, wine and French life.

Another book I read while in the Caribbean two years ago was Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs. In fact, the film was one of six or seven movies we watched while in St. Croix this year. The oddest, and funniest, book I read on this trip was Burroughs' novel Sellevision. Take somewhat sick and twisted characters like those in Scissors and put them all together working at a cable shopping network and just about anything can happen. Sellevision would make a fun film.

Now I am reading the book I began prior to our 13+ hours on planes coming back to Portland. Barack Obama is the most fascinating politician today and his book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, details his thoughts on improving our country. If the election were held today, I'm not sure Obama would get my vote. However, I am enjoying learning more about him and I look forward to what will be a very interesting presidential campaign over the next year.

As I mentioned, several books didn't even get opened during our travels. I have not yet read Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, The Noodle Maker by Ma Jian, and Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford, My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme, and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals never even made it off my nightstand and into my luggage.

Oh well, there will be other vacations...

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Il bel far niente - the island way

We're halfway into our two week vacation on the island of St. Croix. It's been six days since I've even found the need to leave "the compound" on the beachfront. You know immediately that you are staying at a nice house when it is referred to by others as "the compound." It's private and gated. It has a beautiful pool and the ocean view is incredible. In addition to my partner Ed, and our travel companions, the only other humans I've seen have been the pool boy, the Terminex man, and Carl (an abbreviation of a much longer local name that is impossible to pronounce) the gardener.

The gardener first came by yesterday to remove large palm fronds and numerous coconuts from the grounds; debris from the wild weather of the day before. He explained to us that it had just been a "big wind" rather than a "storm." Carl also mentioned that he would line up all the fallen coconuts for us and he then explained how we needed to place one sharp end of a pickaxe in the ground and bring the coconuts down on the other point of the tool to break the husk off the coconut. Our friend Lisa told him she would check the tool supply to see if we had a pickaxe.

This morning Carl was back, while we were all still in bed, cutting the large area of lawn with a weed-eater. The noise woke Ed and I. Soon we were up and around. Carl came through the gate yelling "good morning" with his thick Caribbean accent. Ed went out to greet him and was handed a number of religious tracts. Carl explained that we could read them later if we wished and he was asking for no money. (The exchange seemed oddly appropriate as we had just watched the movie Jesus Camp the night before. Oh, that Rev. Ted Haggard is a wild and crazy guy!)

What excited me was seeing that Carl was dragging a pickaxe. He quickly went to work husking our collection of coconuts. You know you are truly in vacation mode when someone husking your coconuts is the most exciting event of the day.

With a hammer and a screwdriver, Lisa then cracked the coconuts and salvaged all the milk for tropical cocktails. We had fresh coconut meat with our coffee as a pre-breakfast snack. Lisa and Bev then went for their morning walk. Ed was is the gourmet kitchen preparing a crustless Florentine quiche. I was on the beach doing my daily harvest of multi-colored beach glass for the jewelry I hope to design. (Hey, it's only been over 30 years since I've designed any jewelry pieces.)

This is how we've learned to vacation over the years - and we usually take two or three incredible trips annually. I've never experienced more pleasure than when we are really doing a great deal of nothing.

In the book I am currently reading, Eat, Pray, Love (Carol, our long-time cleaning lady, recommended it due to all the travel and food content - even though it is kind of a "chick" book), the author Elizabeth Gilbert writes that Americans don't know how to vacation and do nothing. In discussing this with an Italian, by the name of Luca Spaghetti, he explains that in Italy people do not have this problem as they "are the masters of il bel far niente" - the beauty of doing nothing.

Gilbert writes, "The beauty of doing nothing is the goal of all your work (for the Italians), the final accomplishment for which you are most highly congratulated. The more exquisitely and delightfully you can do nothing, the higher your life's achievement."

Ed, our friends, and I seem to have mastered this art form. I remember that years ago Ed was telling his mother about the fact we had rented a 300-year-old Italian villa with eight friends and we were going to be gone for a month. Her immediate response was, "But what about work?"

Ed's answer was, "That's why I work, Mom."

And so we really do enjoy our vacations. We don't need to visit every tourist site. With numerous great cooks among our friends we seldom need to go out for a meal. None of us must be doing something all the time.

Several years ago we traveled to Italy with a woman who needed to be doing something from sunrise to late in the evening. No tourist site went unvisited. No hilltown left unexplored. She had two days of her trip scheduled for a visit to Rome. I asked what she intended to do while in the city and she took a sheet of notebook paper out of her backpack. On both sides of the paper was a list of all the sites she planned to visit - in two days! My first thought was: I'm sure glad I'm not going to Rome with her. A second realization made me kind of sad - I finally understood that her crazed schedule of events was due to the fact she had no intention of ever coming back to Italy. See it once, say you've been and then there's no need to ever return. We haven't traveled with this individual since.

Today Ed and I went skinnydipping in the pool, waving to the occupants of the seaplane flying a little too low over the neighborhood to check out the houses. Cranky phone lines and a dial-up connection make the desire to go online less than when at home. Each morning Ed performs his duty as "Crab Rescue 911" - saving the crustaceans that have fallen into the pool during the night. Our breakfast discussion was menu planning for future meals. Ed went online to see that it will be raining through the weekend at home in Portland. Naps were had by all. We played dominoes at the table on the patio. Ed spent some time as a chemist, making up a tropical cocktail concoction. We all read from the library of books brought with us - most on the topics of food, travel, or both. (I think I've read seven books so far this trip) An amazing dinner of pan-fried fresh sole (with my homemade tartar sauce), fries made from locally grown white sweet potatoes, Cowboy Jeffie's cole slaw (I'll post the recipe in the future) and assorted beverages is currently being prepared. After dinner we may watch a movie. Tomorrow it will start all over again. What we don't accomplish on this adventure may get done on our next visit to the island.

For some, it might be somewhat exhausting finding the beauty in doing nothing. For others it could easily become a way of life.

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Gastronomical orgasms in a pretty purple gift box

I was very flattered when I got an email from a design industry peer (you know who you are!) thanking me for my mentions and support of their design firm over the past year. I was even more surprised to read that a gift of appreciation was on its way - and that "for optimal flavor, the items should be consumed by the suggested date."

OK, now I was really curious. I anxiously awaited the "clank" of the lid of my mailbox each day. When the package arrived I opened it to a beautiful little purple folded envelope containing an even more stunning tiny purple and white self-promo piece. That envelope was sitting upon a gorgeous purple box, wrapped with a purple satin ribbon, and on top the box were the words "Vosges Haut-Chocolat." (The entire presentation was fan-frickin'-tastic!)

I honestly think I started to salivate - or perhaps I was foaming at the mouth.

I'd been told all about Vosges chocolates when in Chicago for the 2005 HOW Design Conference - and previously read some of founder Katrina Markoff's great press. However, with my crazed schedule I didn't have the time visit the Michigan Avenue boutique.

The chocolates were truly multiple orgasms in a purple gift box. I received an Exotic Truffle Collection box of amazing variety. My gift included the delectible Naga (sweet Indian curry powder, coconut and milk chocolate), Black Pearl (ginger, wasabi, dark chocolate and black sesame seeds), Absinthe (Chinese star anise, fennel, pastis, dark chocolate and cocoa powder), Ambrosia (macadamia nuts, Cointreau and white chocolate), Chef Pascal (kirsch, dark chocolate and dried Michigan cherry), Gianduia (crunchy hazelnut praline, milk chocolate and praline bits), Wink of the Rabbit (caramel milk chocolate and organic New Mexican pecan), Woolloomooloo (Australian macadamia nut,coconut and milk chocolate), and Budapest (sweet Hungarian paprika and dark chocolate). I'm drooling on my keyboard just remembering the unbelievable sensations and flavors.

I must compliment Vosges Haut-Chocolat, and their designer(s), for the beautiful packaging and company literature contained within. Additional thanks go out to the design professional who sent me the wonderful gift. It was enjoyed with many "oohs," "aahs" and assorted moans while following the "see," "lick," "snap" and "taste" instructions from the "How to eat a truffle" booklet.

I think I will follow the advice from the Vosges Haut-Chocolat website and my New year's resolution will be to "Eat Chocolate" - much more chocolate - in 2007.

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A Sunday Morning look at the art of the cookbook

The CBS Sunday Morning show is my favorite way to start my own Sunday morning. Give me a double latte, the Sunday New York Times, the TiVo-ed television show (so I can fast-forward through the annoying commercials) and a comfy position on our down-stuffed couch, and I am one very happy camper.

This morning's program was all about one of my favorite topics: food. One of the segments was The Art of the Cookbook, providing a historical perspective of what will be a 500 million dollar industry this year.

Our household certainly contributes to that economic boost to the publishing industry. Over 200 cookbooks are on the shelves in our kitchen - still far behind the 350+ cookbooks my mother has collected. My partner, Ed, has an ongoing love affair with cookbooks. For him such books are pleasure reading. There's usually a cookbook, or at least several "foodie" magazines, on his nightstand and he'll drift off to dreamland with thoughts of incredible meals bouncing around in his head. Over the years, with Ed's cooking better than most restaurant offerings, we've even discussed the possibility of creating a cookbook ourselves.

Seeing the show reminded me that over 30 years ago I played a part in creating a cookbook. I was a sophomore in college when I was asked to create illustrations of the buildings on the University of Oregon campus for the University of Oregon Centennial Cookbook 1876 - 1976, produced by the University of Oregon Mothers' Club as a fundraiser. We do have a copy in our own cookbook collection. Out of curiosity I thought I would "Google" the book and see what popped up. There it was on Amazon and eBay for anyone to purchase - over 30 years after the fact. Never one to throw anything away, I still have the original, now seemingly crude, illustrations in a file somewhere in my incredibly messy office...

© 2006 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

It's a yummy soup kind of day...

I've lost track of how days it's been raining here in Portland. I know that a total of ten or so days of falling moisture was in the weather forecast a few days ago. It's time for some comfort food to ward off the fall blues. This morning a friend called for my butternut squash soup recipe as she remembered enjoying it so much at our home during one of our soup group meals. It sure is a tummy-warmng soup kind of day - especially as I continue to recover from the nasty cold and bronchitis I've been dealing with for a couple weeks now. I thought I'd share the recipe here with you all (or "all, y'all" if that is appropriate)

Cowboy Jeffie's Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion - coarsely chopped
1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs.) - peeled, seeded and
cut into 1-inch chunks
1.5 quarts chicken stock - preferably homemade or low-sodium
1/4 cup good bourbon (and you might as well pour a drink
for yourself, too!)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger - minced or grated
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to personal taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup heavy cream (or to taste)
Garnish with additional grated nutmeg, Italian parsley or
cilantro leaves, or a dollop of sour cream or yogurt

1.) Melt butter in heavy soup pot. Add onion and stir to coat. Cover pan and sweat until soft - about 10 minutes. Add squash, stock, bourbon, ginger, nutmeg and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered until squash is very soft, 30 to 40 minutes.

2.) Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer cooked soup mixture to blender (or use hand/immersion blender) and process until smooth. Return to pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens to consistency of light cream, 10 to 15 minutes.

3.) Stir in lemon juice. Add cayenne. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.) Add heavy cream just before serving and re-adjust seasoning if necessary.

5.) Once the soup is ladled into bowls you may wish to garnish with grated fresh nutmeg, Italian parsley or cilantro leaves, or a dollop of sour cream or lowfat yogurt.

Serves 8 as a first course.

Don't forget Cowboy Jeffie's Confetti Chicken Chili is also a great hot meal on those cold fall and winter days.

Enjoy!

© 2006 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Great food, fine wine, fun design,a quirky film and a new book

I've been a bit lax on the bLog-oMotives entries lately. It seems a busy social calendar, writing my new book Identity Crisis! (to be published by HOW Design Books in 2007), submitting articles for publication in Turkish and Russian design magazines, and preparing materials to be published in other books got in the way this past week. The social aspects were a great deal of fun and provided lots of design inspiration.

Last Tuesday night I attended a great cooking class at the culinary store In Good Taste in Portland's Pearl District. Holland + Knight, the law firm for which my partner is the business manager, had the cooking class "Hands-On Tropical Escape" as their summer associate activity. Chef Erika Carlson and her cohorts led us step-by-step through making Tamarind- Glazed Prawns on Won Ton Crisps; Watercress Salad with Oranges, Caramelized Coconut Spiced Macadamia Nuts and Chevre; Chicken Jerk and Halibut Pineapple Skewers on a bed of Caribbean Couscous with Dried Tropical Fruit and Flaked Coconut; and Banana-Rum Flambe with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream. Along the way we sipped Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, Red Stripe Beer and Willow Crest 2005 Pinot Gris. A great time was had by all - and, as a designer, I enjoyed checking out the great packaging of all the food products throughout the store.

The following night some friends had a private party at the new N.E. Alberta retail establishment Cork: A bottle shop. The store, operated by the former owners of the restaurant Assaggio, is a welcoming space highlighting an incredible selection of wines. Proprietor Darryl Joannides did a beautiful job designing and building out the store. One of the first things I noticed was the business card produced on an actual wine cork. Designer Todd Skiles of Fullblast created the logo and other identity elements. The walls of the store displayed some beautiful art works from the Alysia Duckler Gallery. As if we hadn't had enough food and wine the previous night, the party featured a wonderful selection of appetizers and desserts from caterer Food in Bloom, and much more than tastings of three whites (including a selection from Jacques and Francois Lurton - who make some of my favorite wines from Chile and Argentina) and four reds. The voice of jazz singer Mary Kadderly sounded fantastic in the acoustics of the space. While I was checking out all the wine label designs I heard some laughter across the room. One of the party guests had discovered Bitch - a Barossa Grenache produced by Dan Philips, David Hickinbotham and Chris Ringland, some well-known individuals in the wine industry. Quite a bit of Bitch was purchased by the party-goers. I'm sure everyone has someone in their life that deserves a bottle. I'll certainly be going back to Cork to check out more wines, their selection of gourmet chocolates, and the balsamic vinegars and olive oils. We'll probably pop in on Thursday evening while enjoying Alberta Street's Last Thursday event.

My Thursday was a day of recovery and time to catchup on many work-related efforts. I really had no desire to even leave my home and spent much of the day working from my new garden space.

Friday started out with a meeting to help coordinate the Second Annual North Portland Pride BBQ and Festival to be held August 13th on the grounds of the University Park United Methodist Church. Last year I designed the logo for the now annual event. I had great biscuits and gravy, at Darcy's in the Portsmouth neighborhood, while brainstorming with the coordinators about sponsors, participants and performers for the festival.

I then rushed home, changed my clothes and headed to the Simpatica Dining Hall, in southeast Portland, for a client luncheon. The dining hall is located next to the Simpatica catering kitchen in the basement of an interesting old building that was formerly the Pine Street Theatre and the La Luna club. I think their logo is beautiful (and will try to find out who created it) It was another amazing meal of their signature green salad, grilled asparagus with Parmesan and lemon, fuscilli pasta with Nonna's meatballs and red sauce and a chocolate cheesecake tart. I was so tempted to have the Simpatica Cheeseburger, but felt I'd already overeaten throughout the week. With my lunch I had O'Reilly's Chardonnay, while other guests enjoyed a Zoot Allures syrah/cabernet (bottled by J. Christopher Wines). Lunch ended about 3:00 p.m. and then it was suggested that several of the guests walk a block over to Doug Fir, in the Jupiter Hotel complex, to cap the afternoon off with a cocktail (or two). Somehow it was suddenly nearly 5:OO p.m. and time to call it a day.

This is not my normal kind of week. I'm usually quite the home-body. With 80-85% of my design work being done cyberly for clients outside of Oregon I seldom have the need to leave my own neighborhood for any reason. It felt great to spend part of my Saturday going the Marbott's Greenhouse & Nursery (1808 NE Columbia Blvd) buying several flats of annuals for my garden and patio pots. The relaxation continued as Ed and I spent part of the evening watching the intriguing and quirky movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I thoroughly enjoyed the Saul Bass-ish opening credits and the movie was great entertainment.

Our social obligations for the week were not quite over. Yesterday morning we had a brunch book signing to attend at the home of Robert Weiss and Norma Leszt for Weiss' latest book, Mardi Gras at the Monastery and Other Stories. (Bob was a founding partner in the law firm Weiss Jensen Ellis & Howard, the company Ed went to work for over 12 years ago, and the firm later merged with Holland + Knight.) The roof garden of their condo was the perfect place for the gathering, with more good food, mimosas and music provided by Robin Dubay and Holly Stern of the Portland Baroque Orchestra. I'm really looking forward to reading the book when I finish with some of the other selections on my nightstand. The brunch was the perfect start of a beautiful day, and a great way to end the craziness of the past week.

With this entry I hope bLog-oMotives is back on track. I plan to post entries on more of regular basis. So, it's back to work as I try to focus on staying cool. The forecast is for 102 degrees here in P-land today. I'm fairly wimpy in that heat - a great reason to stay in my air-conditioned office and get a lot done.

Photos © In Good Taste and Doug Fir

© 2006 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives