The recipes I create or adapt for Savories and the website are done so with you in mind. They should be easy to prepare, healthy and attractive, and most importantly, delicious! Our recipe for Pacific Northwest Boil is an excellent example of this – it’s a great recipe! How do I know this? Because I’ve received many more positive comments about it than any in recent memory, and that feels really good.

My creative goal and vision is for you to enjoy cooking, and to have a great time sharing a meal with your family and friends. I get immense satisfaction when that actually happens and I hear about it. It makes me so proud – hang on a sec, I think I’ve got a little something in my eye … *wiping tear.*

I have to give credit where credit’s due, though. My mother-in-law, Sherrie Nagy of Corvallis, is my inspiration and the catalyst for the Pacific Northwest Boil recipe. After printing our Savories issue, I realized that many people, here, in Oregon don’t know what a seafood boil is, despite their popularity back east (with lobster!) or in the south with shrimp or crab, where everything is cooked together in one large pot and then turned out onto a paper-lined table. It’s a time when kids, grownups and even the neighbors come running, choosing whatever ingredients they like best.

These are always great fun for family gatherings or when camping or crabbing on the coast, and I likely wouldn’t have ever known the joy of this dish if not for Sherrie. So, I tip my toque to her. She has been the inspiration behind many of my recipes and is a very fine and talented cook. She works in a real-world home kitchen, and offers great feedback and tips about what’s practical and what’s not. These are true pearls of wisdom for a chef in my position, given the task of translating recipes created by our staff who are used to every imaginable kitchen tool, utensil, and appliance at their fingertips and who sometimes forget that you at home do not always have such equipment. I’m forever indebted to her for her enthusiasm for fine food and cooking. Thank you, Sherrie! (And did I mention that I’m crazy in love with her daughter?)

I will finish with a big shout out to all of you – our customers make the world go round as you cook and care for each other. Cooking is the secret to a happy life in my book. It takes patience, love, and the will to do the tough stuff, knowing there’s a great reward at the end. Cook and you will find what you are looking for (or at least you won’t be hungry, and that’s a good start to any journey).

And be sure to give some of our other favorite recipes on the website a try, like Pecorino and Prosciutto stuffed Chicken or the Citrus Prawn Cocktail, either is perfect on a warm evening! One of my all time favorites is the Barbecue Bacon and Cheddar Sliders recipe, a sure-fire score for tailgating!

If you need some help, you know where to find me. See you at the Market!

Okay, okay, okay, I’m so excited right now! I just returned from San Francisco on a tour of the Columbus Salami factory! Now, that alone might not be enough to get you so worked up that you can barely form sentences, but as a chef, this was one of the coolest things I’ve ever had the good fortune to experience! So much so that I have to calm down for a second and collect my thoughts so I can give you all of the details.

Alright, I think I’ve pulled myself together, so here goes. I was invited along with several other Market Kitchen Managers and Bonnie Willis, our Kitchen Sales Manager, to fly down for a two-day tour of the Columbus facilities and to taste all of their wonderful products. We were excited to be sure, but most of us weren’t really sure what to expect, so we were most impressed by the generous hospitality and how much fun we had on our whirlwind jaunt around the city.

We met many friendly, proud people involved in the production of Columbus’ fine salumi. They hold themselves to exacting, high standards and it was quite a treat to see it go from production to packaging and onto the grocery store shelves.

We feasted on delicious, robust Sopressata made with fennel and red wine (this makes a fantastic sandwich!), small Cacciatore, or “hunter” salami because it is the perfect size for carrying into the woods or fields for lunch, and the wonderful and ever popular Italian Dry salami, perfect for slicing and snacking. There were so many different types to taste, including some great specialty ones like Cajun, or Herbed, or the perfectly balanced Peppered Salami. They brought out several that were relatively new, which we had never tried before (like the Habanero for instance, which was actually very good and not as hot as you might guess).

I should point out that the art of salumi making (“salumi” simply means cured meats in Italian) is becoming more and more popular in America. And those of us who, over the years, have gotten to know all of the tasty bits and parts of a pig really appreciate fine salumi making when we see it. Many common American salami makers use low-quality ingredients and speed up or cheapen the process by heating, over salting, adding cheap beef/pork blends, and over spicing to hide their products’ inferiority, resulting in non-appealing flavors and textures. Unfortunately, for many Americans, this is what they have come to expect from salami. However, fine salumi has complex, deep flavors, heady aromas, and a satisfying, clean finish, much like fine wines. In fact, one of the salumiere at Columbus, who also happens to be a vintner, said that making great wine is far easier than making great salami!

Columbus uses only high-grade pork for their salami, seasons them according to Old World recipes, and then ages them naturally, mimicking the ancient ways of Tuscany.

They taught us about the “Fiore” or white bloom on salami, which is a naturally occurring beneficial mold, much like what you might find on brie, enhancing the flavor and protecting it from excessive drying. They also taught us how to handle salami, showing us that small salamis are meant to be cut “about the thickness of a nickel” and usually with the bloom and natural casing intact, whereas larger salamis are meant to be peeled and sliced very thin. They were also very adamant about letting salami come to room temperature after slicing and before eating for the maximum flavor and correct texture, just as you would when serving an excellent cheese.

Not only were we treated to tours of the factories, but we also dined in style at Alioto’s on the wharf. I had crab cakes and escargot, and it was jump-from-the-table and burst-into-song outstanding! The best Caesar salad I have ever had without a doubt, with anchovies and egg yolk, yes!!! And I almost didn’t order it! If you get the chance, go! The Ferry Piers are famous for all of the fine food stalls, farmers’ markets, and great cafes and coffee shops – we ate and drank ourselves silly. For example, I bought a soft salami there called ‘nduja’ which was like a spicy, spreadable pate. Need I say that it was unbelievably, decadently good?

I can’t say enough about how grateful and honored I am to have been invited on this foodie dream adventure! Every conversation was either about food or quickly turned to it. Every minute built up to our next fantastic meal, each one better than the last! I was giddy as a kid riding the trolleys down to the famous Ferry Piers, Fishermen’s Wharf and Chinatown, searching out the next food find. If only I could do it every day!

One of my greatest and finest food epiphanies is from when I was a child, sitting in Golden Gate Park (I was born in San Jose) with my Croatian uncle and his family eating fresh sourdough bread, pate and brie and being absolutely blown away by what was in front of me. I will never forget how powerful that experience was and how much it has shaped me and my life. That’s the way to live my friends, with laughter, wine and salumi! Salud!

Let’s keep things short and sweet today. I and the crew have been working on some fantastic new recipes for all of you, and now’s my chance to share all the tasty details.

First, we have some great items on our new menu, like the bright and sunny-tasting Lemon Chicken Scaloppine. I was really in the mood for something on the lighter side when I came across this recipe, and it really fit the bill. We slice moist breast meat into thin cutlets and then crust them with crunchy panko breadcrumbs, fresh basil, and toasted pine nuts mixed with lots of lemon zest to create a super simple yet satisfying entrée. Try it with one of our new salad offerings. For example, these pair very well with the clean flavors of our Parsley-Mint Pesto Potato Salad.

Next, I’m seriously giddy about Korean foods and the vast variety of smells, textures, and flavors common to their cuisine (you might have noticed that in my last post about Korean tacos!). I’m particularly fond of kimchi, the fermented spicy cabbage and vegetable mixture that is served with just about everything at every meal, any time of the day. In fact, kimchi is so prevalent in Korea, I’m told they say “Kimcheeee” instead of “Cheeese” when taking pictures! This inspired me to create Korean Kimchi Grilled Tofu steaks with sweet soy sauce and sesame oil. You’ll love them!

Sweet soy sauce is a deliciously thick, salty-sweet syrup perfect for marinades and it’s often used in southern Asian and Indonesian cooking. I combined that with spicy kimchi and some chili paste and was very impressed with the results. I love these spicy-sweet fermented flavors and how well they lend themselves to grilled tofu or meats. Koreans have one of the healthiest populations on the planet and it is widely attributed to their love of fermented foods. Don’t be afraid of kimchi! We eat many fermented foods ourselves in the West, like sauerkraut, yogurt and cheeses. Fermented foods are very beneficial to digestion and overall health. Give my tofu steaks a try and you’ll find yourself craving more healthy foods!

I’m also really stoked to tell you about my Grilled Tri-Tip Sandwich with Provolone and Balsamic Onion Marmalade. This might be stimulation overload, but I can’t walk away and leave this one without a mention. I made a few of these as a test and left one on the counter in the kitchen for the staff to try and as I walked away I heard an emphatic “My God THAT’S a GOOD SANDWICH!!” I’ll take that to mean I’ve done my job well. You can’t miss these in our cases, since they’re piled high on fresh ciabatta rolls and are just asking for you to grab one and go spend a little special time together.

Lastly, I’ve brought back the Salmon Nicoise Salad, which is one of our favorite sunny salads made with roasted salmon, red potatoes, boiled eggs, a light mustard and lemon-herb dressing, and a mix of vegetables and olives. I can’t express enough about how refreshing this dish is and how beautiful it is for a light dinner or lunch on a sunny afternoon.

I think I’ve gone on long enough here (what did I start off saying about being short and sweet?) but before I go, I must mention that we have several new salads and soups available (twice a year we retool the menu for the summer season and then again for winter). There are some very tasty creations and you would be doing yourself a favor to give ‘em a taste!

If you’d like to shoot the breeze about all things food, look for me in the stores and give me a shout. But be forewarned, I’m even more longwinded in person, especially when it comes to the topic of cooking! Until next time, live well and eat well.

Have you ever tried Korean Tacos? These hot little gems are fusion food at their finest! They originated in L.A. using similar ingredients to the Mexican-style street cart tacos and KA-BOOM! The next food craze was born. If you haven’t tried these, you can find them on food carts in any large city on the West Coast. Or better yet, make them at home with our newest recipe by West Linn Chef Zach Reichert.

I really can’t get enough of these tasty tacos. If you want to just ease into the whole Korean-Mexican thing, then try making simple Kimchi Quesadillas. Simply sprinkle some cheddar, jack, lime juice, cilantro, and kimchi on a tortilla and grill! It’s the real deal, baby.

I love Korean foods and all the funky, fermented flavors and condiments, like gochujang sauce and spicy cabbage kimchi, which soars to unreal heights when paired with marinated grilled meat – WOWZA!

Trust me, Chef Zach’s tacos and the above recipe I mentioned are true magic. Give ‘em a try and if you need some help, stop by your Market Kitchen and ask for some tips! It’s what we’re here for!