Sorting the Cookbook Collection....

I love each one of them.  They have distinct personalities.  How could I sort and throw out any of them?

There they were stacked on my counter awaiting their fate.....

My cookbook collection.  My recipes. Those wonderful creations that had saved my reputation more than once.

Love this one. It's full of fabulous uncomplicated, gourmet, delicious recipes, and is a storehouse of information. It was a keeper.

My mother ask me to take home a few of her cookbooks the last time I visited her.  Considering the current state of affairs, I thought this one might

be helpful....

Perusing through this collection from the Sunday Parade Magazine, I spotted several variations of the "Budget Casserole" and "Budget Stretcher"  I remember my mother using.  My favorite from this era, though, are the molded gelatin salads and the Baked Alaska dessert....

Oh dear... I hadn't found any to dispose of yet.

Memories flooded my mind when I reached for this one....

I went with my children and now I'm going with my grandchildren on field trips to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland, California. (That means Bishop's has been in business over 25 years!)   This little book is full of memories and great recipes like the Applesauce Pumpkin Bread (moist and tasty)

and I love their Persimmon Cookie recipe.  I put it in the sentimental stack.

In my quest to raise healthy children, I collected these two fine cookbooks.  The Snacks has clever ideas for "presentation" of healthy foods and the CANDY

was invaluable for great traveling ideas...foods, games and "how to's".  Ok, these two belong in the sentimental pile.

I felt like hugging some of these cookbooks.  They're like old friends!  When we moved to our ranch in Surprise Valley, I loved using recipes submitted by so many people I knew and saw at least once a month!  Great food and sometimes a story or two  makes this one a little like a story book.....

This darling notebook, given to me by my precious daughters, holds my accumulation of handwritten and typed recipes from

family and friends, and those I cut from magazines and newspapers.

And then there was the time My Sweet Husband and I attended a conference for small family farms and met a woman who was collecting recipes

and farm stories for her cookbook.  We agreed to contribute and were published in this cookbook....

Probably one of the funniest cookbooks I've ever seen was given to me by my sister-in-law...

.

It does have the best bread pudding recipe I've ever tried!  Sometimes it's fun just to read through the names of the recipes..."Uncle Willie's Swamp

Cabbage Stew",  "Clara Jane Vickar's Creamed Tuna Lunch", "Betty Sue's Sister-In-Law's Fried Eggplant". It does have a whole section of recipes I don't

think I will ever use...."Boiled Squirrel", "Butt's Gator Tail", and " Aunt Donnah's Roast Possum".  However, one should never say never!  I'm not ready to
part with this one yet.

This was my first cookbook.  I had to buy it for my high school Home Economics class. It's a basic, classical cookbook .  It is beloved.  Currently, the cover has been duct taped, and some of the index pages have come loose from the three ring binder, but for the most part, it is in great shape and still quite useful.

Well, I did manage to find six books to give away. I discovered I had never used a recipe from any of them and had no attachment to them.

Next there is the magazine recipe collection to sort through....the Bon Appetit, the Taste of Home, the Food Network.

Not right now though.  I'm ready for a cup of tea!

Happy Cooking, Happy Infusions,

Kate

http://tea4kate.com

There's no place like Portland....a fascinating gourmet experience.

Portland, Oregon is a virtual epicurean wonderland !  And we are trying our best to take full advantage of all opportunites every time we have a chance to be there.

In our short visit, we were treated to  fantastic Korean food at the  Be Won on North 23rd Street in the heart of downtown Portland.

From their menu we were introduced to the different types of Korean food....

which can be divided into the following categories:

Juk:
a rice porridge often served as a restorative, can include chicken, vegetables, beans, ginseng and mushrooms

Jeon:

pan fried vegetables or seafood; there are also pancake-like Jeon that consist of meat and vegetables integrated into a batter

Guk and Tang
soup made from a variety of different vegetables, meats and seafood

Chi-ge and Jeongol

traditional Korean stews and casseroles

Jim and Jorim
dishes of meat or fish simmered in many ingredients and spices

Gui

broiled or barbecued dishes

Namul
lightly seasoned fresh vegetables or wild green dishes

Bokkum

stir fried dishes made with variety of vegetables, seafood or meat

Bap

boiled rice, often garnished with beans, barley, millet or other grains to enhance flavor or nutritional value

Kimchi

kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish made with Korean cabbage, cucumbers or radishes with a mixture of other vegetables and seasonings, there are more than 160 kimchi varieties differentiated by region and ingredients

Check out their fantastic menu items at this site:

http://www.bewonrestaurant.com/menu.asp

One evening, we had dinner at Hakatamon Restaurant next to the Beaverton Uwajimaya Asian Market.  Hakatamon serves fresh udon noodles, made by hand by Chef Kato each day for the delicious udon soups.  After we ate, we strolled through the incredible market with aisles full of speciality Asian groceries and gifts.  A fantastic treat !

http://www.uwajimaya.com/

You can find out how the fascinating history of the Uwajimaya Market is connected to Northern California at this site.....

http://www.uwajimaya.com/history.html

At our next stop, (one of our favorite chain restaurants), we ordered classical Chinese food.  PF Changs is delightfully consistent in their presentation and quality.  The Gluten Free Menu is quite extensive and even includes dessert ! There are several locations listed on their website:

http://www.pfchangs.com/index.aspx

For a treat, we found the Saint Honore Boulangerie in Lake Oswego. This French bakery features handcrafted French breads and pastries.  Quiches, sandwiches, salads and soups are also on the menu.  Two of us ordered the Choquettes....puffy baked pastry with pate a choux and dusted with rock sugar.  Two of us decided on the Gateau....Gateau Orange and Gateau au Chocolate....both flourless cakes, rich and flavorful.

http://www.sainthonorebakery.com/

One of these beautiful spring days, we might try.....

An Epicurean Walking Tour

http://www.portlandwalkingtours.com/tours/epicurean_excursion.php

Bon Vivant and Happy Infusions,

Kate

http://tea4kate.com