EPISODE #129 - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

Fall is finally here.  For some people this is the best season.  The days are warm and the nights are cool.  It is also the time to be thinking of all the things you need to do before the cold wet weather returns.  This coming weekend you can get some ideas for what to do and things for your home at the Fall Home and Garden show.  Check it out!

Before you do, check out this week’s show.

Carrot Soup

The cool evenings of fall have returned and so has the need for warm, comfort food.  One of the best new recipes we found for fall is in the new cookbook, ‘Portland, Oregon Chef’s Table’ by Laurie Wolf.  She has gone to dozens of the finest restaurants in the Portland area and selected some of their favorite recipes.  The book also includes descriptions of each restaurant and some backgrounds of some of the chefs.  The recipe that Chef David selected was one from 23 Hoyt: A New American Tavern.  Executive chef Amber Webster and Owner Bruce Carey have a great intimate and cozy place and that is reflected in their food. 

The recipe David did was their ‘Carrot Soup with Chervil Cream’.  We started by sweating 2 medium leeks and one medium onion in a little bit of butter and chicken stock.  Then we added 3 cloves of roughly chopped garlic and a tablespoon of salt.  After about 3-5 minutes we added about a quart of chicken stock.  We took it easy on the salt for this recipe and decided that we would add more at the end if needed.  We brought the whole mixture to a hard boil and added a pound of diced carrots.  We cooked this pretty fast to save the color of the carrots.  In about 5 minutes the carrots were soft and so we added the final ingredients of ½ cup of orange juice and ½ cup of carrot juice.  We gave it a quick stir and then blended it until it is nice and smooth.   David topped it off with whipped cream and parsley (since he couldn’t find chervil) and it was delicious!  Try to make this great recipe at your house, but if you don’t want to, you can always find it at 23 Hoyt!     

Beer Glassware

A few weeks ago we attended an event put on by the Barley’s Angels.  Barley’s Angels encourage education and interest in beer and brewing among women.  They had a day of classes and seminars at the Rogue Hopyard outside of Independence, Oregon and we were able to hang out with them.  While we were there we had a chance to meet with The Beer Goddess, a.k.a. Lisa Morrison.  Lisa is a writer and author, and the host of ‘Beer O’Clock’ on 101 FM KXL.  She has also written a book, ‘Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest’.  Lisa was at the event to give a talk on choosing the right glassware for your beer.  She told us that you can enhance your enjoyment of beer with the proper glassware.  To demonstrate she brought 3 different types of glasses with her.  The first one she showed us was the pilsner glass.  This is the tall thin glass that you find at many bars.  This glass really highlights the color of the beer since it is so tall and thin.  It also allows for a nice head of foam which will bring that aroma to your nose when you drink it.  Next she showed us the goblet or chalice.  This one is used for Belgian style ales and heavier beers.   This one had a much wider opening and that allows the flavor and aroma to spread out around your nose and the taste to spread out around your mouth.    

David then asked about the normal pint glass that we see in bars and restaurants.  This was not designed as a beer glass, this was a glass that was used by bartenders for mixed drinks and when they needed something to serve beer in, they started to use them because they were cheap and readily available. 

The latest and greatest glass on the market was The Offero.  This glass is not flat at the top, it has an angled top which, when drinking, covers your face like an oxygen mask and really brings all the aromas to your nose while you are drinking. 

If you are interested in learning more about glassware you can go to CraftBeer.com, where they have a ‘Beerology’ section where you can get all the details on different glasses and if you love local beer, be sure to listen for Lisa on the radio and pick up a copy of her book.   

Second Step Flooring

There is a great organization in the Vancouver area called Second Step Housing.  Second Step Housing (360-993-5301) is a program that helps place at-risk women and families in need of temporary housing until they can move into their own, permanent housing.  These families have made the first step at getting their lives in order and this housing helps them move to the second step.  We talked to Debbie Dover who is the executive director and she told us how donors and businesses in Vancouver help buy and renovate these homes that allow people to get back on their feet without setting them back financially. 

One of those businesses is Cascade Flooring America (800-942-0376).  Sunny Parsons and his aunt, Rebecka, have stepped up to help with renovating these homes for families.  Cascade Flooring has always been involved in the community and this was just a natural tie-in for them.  When they help to renovate these homes with new flooring they will work with Second Step to make sure that they put in flooring that can take the wear and tear that these young families dish out. 

If you are interested in helping this organization like Cascade Flooring America does, then you should check out their Step into Fashion event on October 5th.  Check out their website for all the details.

Serving Up Style

You wouldn’t think that going to a home and garden show would help your community, but it can!  This year at the Portland Fall Home and Garden Show you can check out the ‘Serving up Style: designers fighting lupus’ event.  This event will benefit Molly’s Fund which brings attention to lupus and the people who are fighting it.  Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks normal healthy tissue. 

The people behind Molly’s Fund are Molly and Debbie McCabe.  They told us about the nearly 20 different designers that will be creating fun and unique dining room environments in less than 48 hours.  A panel of judges will be voting on the best vignettes, but you can vote too.  Last year over 6,000 people voted on the best design and you can too.  When you attend the Fall Home and Garden show you can place your vote or if you can’t make it to the show you can still vote at www.Houzz.com.  Check out some of these great designs and help a great cause at the same time!
 

Chown Bathroom Gadgets

People spend a lot of time in the bathroom as they are getting ready for the day and now you can change your state of mind or keep up to date with the world while you are primping in the morning.  It all depends on the type of accessories you have in your bathroom!  To see what we mean you have to stop by Chown Hardware (800-547-1930).  In one section of the store they had the latest gadgets for your bathroom.  Kay, who is a vice president of Chown, joined Robin to show her what is new for the bathroom.  The first thing we saw was the Vedana Personal Care Oasis from Bain Ultra.  This is a one stop relaxation unit.  This unit can provide 5 different experiences at one time.  The first thing you may notice is the light panels.  These provide light therapy that will help you adjust your mood.  The panels can be adjusted to help you relax or even give you a boost through ‘chromotherapy’, which is the wavelength of light, to help you relax.  Next you may notice the sounds of soft music.  The unit can be programmed to play various different types of music, providing you with gentle sound therapy.  If you like warmth to help you relax they have a heater to provide thermo therapy.  Finally, there is aromatherapy.  The unit has a small vial that can be filled with different types of aromas and scents.  Even in the showroom it was relaxing to be near it.

Next we moved to a more ‘techno’ gadget, the Electric Mirror.  This was a mirror that had a TV monitor embedded into it.  This monitor can be hooked up to your cable or you can tie it into a DVR or computer.  It is kind of cool to be able to watch the news while you shave.  If you would like to see either of these 2 units, you can stop by Chown Hardware, or check them out on-line.