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EPISODE #50- SATURDAY AUGUST 21, 2010
The clock is ticking...
school is right around the corner and soon the
weather will be getting cooler and the rains will return. I know, it is
hard to believe right now, but it will happen. A friend recently posted
a
picture on his Facebook. His message said 'For those of you who are
complaining about the heat' and it showed a picture of his house buried
in
the snow. Ahhh... a nice reminder. That means that time is running out
for all those little projects you need to do. But before we show you
more fix-it projects we decided to go easy on you with stories about
pastrami, wine glasses, washers and a local girl who is becoming a
design celebrity as a finalist in a reality show.
Local
'Design Star'
People are always looking for tips on style and design. HGTV
has become a place for a lot of people to get those tips. For the past
couple of years they have had a 'reality show' of sorts that has become
a favorite of viewers and would-be designers called
Design Star. Design Star is a
competition for up and coming designers to earn the right of having
their
own HGTV show. This year one of the favorites is a local girl, Emily
Henderson. She was recently in Portland to help promote the show and we
caught up with her at
Saint Maine (503-232-1880) in the Westmoreland/Sellwood
area. Emily only tried out for the show at the request of her husband.
He
found the listing on Craig's List and told her to try out. She got a
video
audition and then kept on going each week with more interviews and tests
and
finally she was on the show. Her background is as a 'prop stylist' which
means she gets products ready for video and still photographers, she
doesn't
have a background as an interior designer as some of the other
contestants.
This show has also been an eye opener for Emily. She is not as
competitive
as some of the other contestants and she has had to adjust to that, but
it
has also become a bonding experience for her and her competitors as
well.
For those of you who follow the show, you know that Emily is now one of
the
finalists on the show. She attributes that success to her upbringing in
Oregon. We are pretty laid back and unpretentious, which fits her style
perfectly. If she were to win the competition she told us what her new
TV
show would look like. She thinks that your design should look like you.
Too many interesting people have boring designs. She would look at the
people, their lifestyle and their clothes to help them create a design
that
reflects that person.
If you are wondering how she does, you will just have to check
out the final show. The final Design Star for this season airs on
Sunday,
the 22nd at 10pm on HGTV.
Wine Glasses
To really enjoy wine you have to know the ins and outs of wine
glasses. The flavor and taste of wine can change dramatically if you use
the right glass. The correct stemware will allow a wine the right amount
of
air, will allow you to see the color and will help focus the flavors.
Todd
Steele from Metrovino (503-517-7778) walked us through the five types of glasses that most
restaurants use. First was the champagne flute. Its small size is
perfect
for focusing the bubbles and aroma of the champagne for the drinker to
enjoy. Next was the basic white wine glass. This one is perfect for the
pinot gris, Rieslings and chardonnay's. The bowl is a little bigger and
a
bigger bowl helps to aerate your wine. That releases the different
flavors
of the different grapes. At Metrovino this is the general use glass, a
good
'all-purpose' glass. This is the one glass that Todd would recommend for
everyone. Next was the Bordeaux glass, which is generally used for red
wines. Finally the biggest of the glasses was the burgundy glass. This
one
has the biggest bowl which is great for releasing the complex flavors of
the
heavier wines. The 4th glass was a larger version of the burgundy glass
with a narrower mouth. This also helps focus those aromas for your nose
and
with the smaller mouth it allows you to swirl without the fear of
splashing
or spilling. The final glass is a special glass that was designed for
Oregon Pinot Noirs. It has a wonderful bowl and fluted top that really
accentuate the flavors of the different wines we make here. The Oregon
Glass is the second one that Todd would recommend that everyone have in
their bar or cupboard.
Finally we talked about temperature, which is critical for
enjoying wines. White wines should be served between 50-60 degrees and
reds
should be between 60-68 degrees. For that reason you should never hold
on
to the bowl of the glass. That will raise the temperature of the wine
and
may ruin the flavor. You should always hold on to the stem of the glass
to
avoid this. We finish with the 5 S's of wine drinking, which we have
picked
up from local experts. Number 1, the seeing of the wine. How does it
look?
Number 2, the swirling of the wine, which releases the aroma. Number 3,
the
smell. Your sense of smell is much better than your sense of taste and
so
you can enjoy the 'flavor more if you smell a wine. Number 4, you want
to
sip. Roll the wine around your mouth and get a sense of the wine on your
tongue. Finally, number 5, savor the wine. This is where you let the
flavors of the wine linger in your month. Did you enjoy the wine? What
other flavors did you find? If all of this sounds interesting to you,
you
can find out more at Metrovino. They have events and tastings throughout
the year so check their website for more info.
Chipped
Pastrami
Sometimes a twist on an old favorite makes a new recipe
outstanding. We stopped at
Produce Row Café (503-232-8355) to visit Chef Justin Wisneski and learn his take on the old 'chipped beef' recipe. He calls
his
special concoction 'Justin's Surprise' or 'Pastrami Chipped Beef'. He
started with a chopped onion and sautés it until they are slightly
translucent. At the same time he puts some diced, steamed potatoes on to
sauté in butter. When the onion is ready he adds 2 tablespoons of minced
garlic, salt and pepper, diced cauliflower, and pastrami, and cooks it
until
it gets a tiny bit crispy. As that browns up he adds spices to his
potatoes
and browns them. The pastrami mixture then gets 1 quart of cream. After
reducing Chef Justin cuts the rich flavor with 2 teaspoons of
horseradish.
Finally he added parsley to his dish, though you could add any fresh
herb
from your garden.
The chipped pastrami is served over toasted bread and topped
with a fried egg. The potatoes are served on the side. Chef Justin
called
this dish the ultimate hang over cure when served with a Bloody Mary. If
you would like to try this dish you can stop by Produce Row and enjoy it
as
part of their expanded breakfast menu!
Top Load vs. Front Load
The top-load vs. the front-load washer. It has become a big
question for people who are looking for a new appliance. Energy
efficient
appliances have come a long way in the past few years and washers are no
exception. We caught up with John Toohey at
Standard TV and Appliance
(503-619-0500) to learn more about the newest in the 2 different styles
and
the pros and cons of each. For energy efficiency, the front loaders are
the
winner. They can use less than half of the water than a top loader and
even
less detergent, plus they can get your clothes even cleaner than the top
loading machine. These machines can also pay themselves off much faster
with all the tax benefits and manufacturer rebates. For all the details,
stop by any of the Standard TV and Appliance locations around Oregon. |
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