April/May 2007

Salad for Dinner

Cyndi Mathews

Trained in French and Wine Country cuisines, Medford's Café Dejeuner Executive Chef Bryan Nystrom infuses classical dishes with fresh flavors.

Greens, cherry tomatoes, and the oft-overlooked local persimmons meld with the polenta croutons, feta cheese and red raspberries in this colorful salad.

Nystrom also likes using persimmons and says they have the size and shape of tomatoes. "They're a beautiful sweet, soft fruit that ripens like a tomato. Chop them the same way. They are just as good," he says.

Heavenly Hydrotherapy

Chozu Bath and Tea Gardens, situated in a quiet corner of Ashland's old railroad district, is an ode to the healing and purifying properties of water. The word Chozu is derived from the Japanese roots cho, meaning "to become clear, serene or pure," and zu, which means "with water."

Butter Lettuce Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and Polenta Croutons

Greens, cherry tomatoes, and the oft-overlooked local persimmons meld with the polenta croutons, feta cheese and red raspberries in this colorful salad.

Cobb Salad

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February/March 2007

All Fired Up at the Blacksmith in Bend

John Gottberg

In Bend's burgeoning restaurant scene, Chef Gavin McMichael's "New Ranch Cuisine" stands front and center. Ask folks in Bend about "the blacksmith," and they won't send you to a mustachioed muscleman who hammers fiery iron on an anvil. The Blacksmith is a restaurant — one good enough to have been chosen one of the "best new restaurants in the world" by Condé Nast Traveler in May 2004.

Cooking With Wine

Looking for the right wine to go into that special dish? Well, wheel your shopping cart right past the "cooking wine" you see on the grocery store shelf next to the vinegar — it'll compromise your dish and send your sodium level soaring.

Tortilla Soup

I've enjoyed various versions of Mexican tortilla soup ever since I first moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. There were thin but spicy broths just lightly garnished with toasted tortilla strips, and others in which the tortillas were blended with vegetables to make a thick puree. I loved them all. But I'd never really tried to make my own version until I was asked to do some menu consulting for the famous Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel in Dallas, a city where Mexican food is a natural part of the culinary landscape.

Coq Au Vin

When we went looking for a classic coq au vin (chicken in wine) recipe and an authentic French onion soup, we didn’t have far too look. Dale Verger and chef Pierre Verger, owners of Monet Restaurant and Garden, one of Ashland’s most delightful French restaurants, came to our epicurean rescue and offered to give Distinctly Northwest readers Pierre’s classic take on the French dishes.

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December/January 2006/2007

Delicious Food and Wine Pairings for Entertaining

Need a great appetizer or dessert recipe for some holiday entertaining? We have some for you. Now, need to know what wine to serve with those great recipes? Guess what? We’ve got that, too!

Parmentier-Style Turkey Hash

One of my favorite treatments for leftovers is a traditional French recipe that is most often used for leftover roast or braised beef, although it works great with turkey, chicken, ham, or even seafood such as leftover salmon.

Tiramisu

It’s easy to understand why tiramisu is Italy’s most popular dessert. When you’ve got one dish that combines the flavors of chocolate and espresso coffee with sugar, light spongy ladyfinger cookies, and tangy-creamy mascarpone cheese, how can you possibly go wrong?

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