Culinary Tourism

Next weekend is the award winning Wah Chang NW Art & Air Festival!  The party begins Friday, August 27th and continues through Sunday, August 29th at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, Oregon!

Our balloonist begin floating in to town late next week to prepare for their hot air festivities!  Join us as we celebrate the stunning "Balloon Night Glow" while enjoying Curtis Salgado. "America" will be our entertainment on the MAIN STAGE Saturday evening!  Celebrating their 40th anniversary tour, "America" will bring back that great music while we enjoy delicious festival tastes!  Only in Oregon, will you find a festival where a huge portion of the "fun" is in the food!

Wine and Micro brew Gardens, Funnel Cakes, Mad Cupcake Love, BBQ Ribs, Turkey Legs, Chicken, Hawaiian fusion and more local tastes steal the show!

For more info on the ART, CAR SHOWS, and how you can get a balloon ride, go to www.albanyvisitors.com! 

And...there are three Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild membership inns within minutes of the fairgrounds!  The Harrsion House in Corvallis and The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn and The Edelweiss Manor B & B in Albany!  


See you at the ATI Wah Chang NW Art & Air Festival next weekend! 

Googling the word, "strata," I found that it can mean many things.  A geological formation, the former name of a rock band, it's a recipe and a name of a company!  I'm not sure why this recipe is named "Strata" except that in this photograph, you can kind of see why perhaps because of the way it rises as it's squeezed out of it's perfect boundaries while baking.

This is a very easy recipe and again one of those we have twisted around, added to and played with till we got it right.  Simple, delicious, easy and can be made on a whim!  The perfect breakfast for one or many if multiplied!

My Personal Strata!

-cube 2 slices of any kind of bread.  We love using two different kinds of breads.  A rye and whole grain perhaps, or a sour dough and honey wheat!

-spray a single serving ramekin or small baking dish with olive oil

-lay cubed bread in the dish and up the sides as much as possible

-whip 3 eggs, some basil, a few pepper flakes, salt and pepper and a little milk.  Pour mixture over cubed bread

-sprinkle with chopped onion, cooked turkey bacon or Peppered Canadian Bacon and a little jack cheese with a bit of diced tomato

-Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes

This Strata can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning.  This will give the bread enough time to soak in the egg mixture!

And...depending on the season, change it up!  I love going to my garden and getting some Thai Basil or fresh tomatoes to use as well as using local cheese's when I have them on hand.  Sweet corn is a nice addition too!

Check out this link to our "Breakfast Experience" on our OBBG website when you are thinking about checking in to one of our Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild membership inns! 

See you soon!

Oh my, where do I begin?

I was born in SoCal on a warm dry day in 1961. Ok...skipping ahead a few years.... I watched as my grandmother pounded the heck out of a steak. She was a tiny thing but man could she pound the heck out of that beef. And, she was one of those kinds of women that could pull a few items out of her pantry and prepare a feast. Now my Jewish grandmother on my mom's side, another important influence in the kitchen, she told a totally different story. Couldn't understand a word of it sometimes, but I got the picture cause when she was mad or wanted me to behave, she spoke "Yiddish" and yes...then I behaved. So, when the word, "nosh" came up for this tour, how more fitting could it be?!

NOSH: A Yiddish word meaning to snack, eat a light meal, a small bite, nibble or munch!

Between my grandmothers', my mother's innate ability to improvise and improve on any recipe she tried, my firefighting awesome cook of a husband and my yearning desire for "really good" food, I have only learned from the best how to cook and now I am learning where to find the best food in Oregon. My personal journey, my quest, my "foodie" exploration and just like Albany, I love to share!

Thus...the Albany Nosh Tour! Bursting at the seams and wanting to run down First Ave. screaming..."do any of you know what you have here in this sweet town???" I didn't want to be known as "debbie...that crazy lady that runs down First Ave. screaming," so...with the help of some of my AVA buddies, we created the "Albany Nosh Tour!" And, like most of us here in Oregon, perhaps a motto of sorts...we came up with..."Albany...we love to share!" And, we did just that yesterday!

Beginning with our ride over to Novak's for our first stop, we were overwhelmed by the most delicious Hungarian chicken dish and a plethora of pastries. The Novak family made us feel like family and even brought in Joseph and Matilda to make us feel even more at home. After enjoying what I considered a "meal," we loaded up the trolley and headed to our 2nd stop...Calapooia Brewing Co. Burger's, ruben's, fries, tots and three or four paddles of their beer in the garden and we could have stayed all evening! A great quick tour of their brewery of which they brew beer and send out to five different cities in Oregon, puts Albany on the map of one of the best places to brew beer! Told ya we like to share!

Ah...Taste of Italy at Pizza King! A quick cooking lesson with fresh garlic, lemon zest, peppers and parmegano reggiano mixed in "orchetta" pasta and yummm! Ruby you are the best and that authentic "bellini" with the fresh berries, the peaches, the Prosecco and wow...is there life after you have had the best Italian food? And yes...by this time we are beginning to get really full but we don't want to be done yet! So, we board the trolley again and head to P'Shaws and enjoy a quick bite of local jams, sweets and a nice browse of Pam's shop of handmade, homemade and all regional goodies!

The last trolley stop took us to Sybaris! From here we walked the rest of the tour. Believe me when I say...we really needed it. But, not till we have had Matt's most delectable dish! Thank you Matt and Janel for helping put Albany on many maps and for drawing visitor's from all over the world as they come to enjoy our sweet town and your most divine Pacific Northwest cuisine! What a treat and gorgeous as always!

Rolling almost literally down the "avenue," we entered Vault 244 and were lead through Lane's very trendy, very cool and very inviting bistro. Hauled in to the new banquet room at the rear of the restaurant, we were awestruck at our "taste!" Almost too pretty to eat and drink, Lane gave us a quick run down on the new renovations and the much anticipated outdoor seating options. That is set to be open this week by the way. Thanks to Lane, his head chef and mixologist (that's my name for the guy that makes the cool drinks) for a very unforgettable taste!

Moving on to Clemenza's again owned my Matt and Janel and at no surprise another perfect taste of Prosciutto wrapped fruit in a balsamic glaze and oh my...yum doesn't even begin to describe this taste. In awe, in amazement and in for another treat, we then headed to First Burger where couldn't possibly "taste" another bite...but man...that Frito chili pie was soooo good! But, we needed our cupcakes! Well...I did anyways and knowing that Jessica's Rocket Queen Cupcakes were waiting for us at Boccherini's along with a nice iced latte', we shook a leg and rubbed our bellies and headed on in for the perfect ending of very perfect taste!

And that it was!

Thanks to all our restaurateurs, our chef's, our owner's of these delish dining digs in Albany! We are here because you are here and have helped make our town a destination location for travelers, trekkers, writers, photographers and local folks that just plain love "really good" food!

And...if you are visiting Oregon this season, join us for our next "nosh" in Albany, OR on July 31st!  For info: call the Albany Visitor's Assn. at 541-928-0831!  And...if you are looking for that most awesome Oregon B & B to perfectly round out your perfect Oregon visit, check out The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild at www.obbg.org!  

Not sure I would want this guy in my garden but I loved going to our local nursery last week!

Looking for all kinds of herbs to plant in our garden has been fun this year.  Our usual Sweet and Thai Basil will steal the show in all our breakfasts at our inn but this year we are looking for those unusual herbs that add a taste that's new and fresh!

There are a few of my favorite summertime recipes below that I hope you make, enjoy and share with your friends.  Around here when the sun is shining, the margaritas are made and we are looking for that simple and very tasty something to chew on, we make "Insalata Caprese" and a little "Baked Brie!"  Who doesn't love a bit of mozzarella with lots of herbs and tomatoes?  And...who doesn't love that nutty and creamy brie oozing fresh out of the oven spread on crusty Italian bread.   

So...here goes!  Enjoy and let us know how much you loved these recipes and if you have a "really good" margarita recipe to share, let us know about that too!

BAKED BRIE

2 Tablespoons butter, softened
About 7 ounces whole ripe Brie or Camembert cheese with rind
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread butter over the top and sides of Brie.  Place the Brie on an ovenproof rimmed serving plate.  (I like using a mini cast iron pan...it looks cool and keeps the cheese warmer longer).  Sprinkle almonds over top.

Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese just begins to melt!

and now for the Caprese!

INSALATA CAPRESE

3 lg. fresh tomatoes
16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, only fresh will do
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 sliced black or kalamata olives
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar ( I use 30 yr. old basal mic vinegar...really, really good flavor!)
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/8 cup fresh oregano
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (or use Fleur de sel...a French sea salt...yum)!

Slice mozzarella into small slices, slice tomatoes thick and combine the tomatoes and cheese with all the remaining ingredients.  Toss well and coat everything!

Chill for 1 hour (minimum).  When ready to serve, arrange tomatoes on a large platter, put some of the cheese slices on each tomato slice.  Work in olives and onions.  Drizzle remaining dressing over the top and serve with crusty bread!


And yes...these recipes can be served with one of our awesome "inn" breakfasts!  We hear it's a European thing.  Loving that fresh just picked and tossed dish makes us innkeepers pretty popular in Oregon.  Check out one of our Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild Inns to see what's cookin' this summer!

"Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of coffee cherries that grow on trees in over 70 countries. Green unroasted coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Due to its caffeine content, coffee can have a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide." per Wikipedia when googling "coffee!"

And according to a National Geographic take on coffee..."Goats will eat anything. Just ask Kaldi the legendary Ethiopian (map) goatherd. Kaldi, the story goes, noticed his herd dancing from one coffee shrub to another, grazing on the cherry-red berries containing the beans. He copped a few himself and was soon frolicking with his flock."  This is actually supposed to be a true story from centuries ago when the fruit was first discovered.

The biggest question though is...how do you take yours?

A self professed coffee snob, I did not have a relationship with coffee until about 10 years ago.  It was so bad that my father-in-law got in to the habit of bringing his own thermos when coming to our home.  Now that's telling you something.  My coffee was apparently horrible.  Since then, I have learned that the fresher roasted the bean the better, the grind is really important and if you are true coffee snob, you will forgo the sugary syrups, the tons of creamer and learn to love the crema as it lulls in your mouth and you are smitten when you find that perfect cup of "joe!"

I recently learned about coffee "French Press" style.  I love the flavor, the way the oils thicken the brew and the true coffee experience.  And an experience when drinking that perfect "cuppa" is what you want.  I hear from an English friend that we Americans taking our "cups to go" is not how it should be done.  A true sit with a "real" cup is how we should do it.  And, if you aren't making it at home, check out a few of these places if you are visiting Oregon this season!

Pirate Coffee, Wandering Goat Coffee Co., Boyd Coffee Co., Sisters Coffee Co., Kobos Coffee Co., Oregon Mountain Coffee or Allann Bros.!

And yes of course...there just happens to be an Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild membership inn or two near all of these awesome coffee shops!  But then...you are really lucky if your innkeeper is a "coffee snob!"  We are sure to buy the best, local and freshest beans around.  And, if you are looking to check out some "Oregon" roasted coffee beans and you want to try them brewed "French Press" style, check out "Mother's Bistro and Bar" or "The Heathman Hotel" in the Portland area or, "Tease" in Southern Oregon!

Just as always, your Oregon innkeepers know where to find the best of everything here!  The best local culinary experiences and the best brews too!

The Wings and Wine Festival is scheduled for May 8, 2009 at Fern Ridge.  The extensive wetlands provide unique habitats for a variety of wildlife, including breeding birds and a large variety of birding opportunities for all levels.




Pre-registration is required for some activities.
There are many nature walks planned and a van tour of local wineries and tasting rooms.  Nothing like mixing a little geotourism and culinary tourism on the same trip!

Where to stay? Fern Ridge is located 10 miles west of Eugene, in Oregon's southern Willamette. These Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild's inns await your arrival. They are sure to provide a quiet place to unwind, a restful night's sleep and an outstanding gourmet breakfast to start your day.

So here we are--social innkeepers engaging in a little culinary tourism in Ashland Oregon as part of our Annual Meeting of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild.  We started the day with touring some wonderful Ashland Oregon lodging facilities:  Ashland Springs Hotel, Winchester Inn, Chanticleer Bed & Breakfast, the Romeo Inn, Albion Inn, Shrew's House Bed & Breakfast, the Ashland Royal Carter House, Oak Hill B&B and Country Willows Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Most of these inns were withing walking distance of downtown Ashland.  Can you imagine innkeepers trooping through the neighborhoods of Ashland in the rain and sometimes snow? 

In the afternoon, we began our Epicurean tour of Ashland restaurants at the Ashland Springs Hotel with samples of Organic Nation's Gin and Vodka accompanied by duck confit from Lark's, a restaurant located within the Ashland Springs Hotel.  Yum!

Other restaurants on our Epicurean tour included samplings from: Zoey's Cafe, Tease, Dragonfly Restaurant & Gardens and Standing Stone Brewing Company.  Everything was tasty and fresh.  As says Pat from Oak Hill B&B, "We're so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful restaurants!"

Can you say sustainable travel?...can you utter culinary tourism?...or can you blurt..."wow...I've never seen veggies this green before!"

Well...it began on March 20th in Portland!  It's Spring here and it's time for our Oregon Farmers Markets to sprout up all over the state and share their stuff!  Flowers, veggies, art...you name it and you can find it.  From now till deep in to autumn, you can drive in to just about any Oregon town, city or region and find a farmers market! 

Throughout this season, you can enhance your Oregon culinary experience by tasting the fresh faire and enjoying our local goods as they are paired with wines and cheese's and yes...we grow them too!  And we do a mighty fine job of it!  The Willamette Valley as well as Southern Oregon grow the best grapes for the best wine in the entire state!  The cheese's here in Oregon...wow, what can I say?...they are delightful and can also be seen at almost every farmers market in the state!

In the city of Albany, you not only find our lovely home and garden grown goods, you will find local honey, flowers, crepes and even local music to be had as well.  It's all about what is here, what we can see, taste and touch and then take home. 

If it's made here, grown here or even played here, you can experience it here!  We hope when you are planning your Oregon Culinary Vacation this season, you plan on checking out our Oregon Farmers Markets!  See you in the crepe line!

Sipping chocolate at Cacao's near The Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland was only the beginning of our "Epicurean Tour" last Saturday!  In the works for months, Portland Walking Tours teamed up with a few very interested Oregon innkeepers and we headed out to devour the city!

Led by Bob, tour guide with Portland Walking Tours, we covered about 2 mi. of ground.  And thank goodness we did because it helped walk off all the extra bread I ate at Pearl Bakery!...well, I had help! After donning the hair nets and washing our hands we were led to the bakery's kitchen.  Oh wow...not a good combination.  A bunch of innkeepers in a bakery kitchen?...might have seemed like a good combination at the time.  Thank goodness we have manners, don't mind sharing and the fact that at least two of us had camera's kept us on our good behavior.

On to Elephant's Delicatessen and through the back door, we tasted the best tomato soup.  Specializing in sandwich's, salads, soups, cookies, etc., this sweet deli has a little bit of everything for every visitor! 

Some of us know what Portland has to offer to our visiting guests from out of town. Just ask Pam and Carl over at Heron Haus Bed and Breakfast in Portland or former restaurant owner Patrick over at Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast in Gresham and they will concur...Portland is among the leading cities offering that perfect itinerary for culinary travel and culinary experiences in the nation!  Brew pubs of which we got tastes of, offer so many different tastes and types of beers that it's no wonder that Portland is known as the brew capitol of the world.  Toss in a few wineries and a taste at a local gourmet shop and you have found another reason to come here.  Where else in the world can you go and walk in to some place called The Tea Zone & Camellia Lounge and have a cup of hot tea or a mixed drink?...a tea/cocktail....  What a great place and so very unexpected!

So, continuing our noshing fest, we sampled pear and Canadian bacon style pizza all made with local ingredients.  We ate gelato, drank berry soda, ate raspberry tea cookies, tried curried dips with rice crackers, sprinkled finishing salts made of truffles on our palms and lapped them up with flavors so surprising we had to buy some to take home!  A very tasty way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Portland!

So, when you come here to Oregon this year or when you are contemplating on where to vacation or holiday this year, begin with us...your innkeepers that know where all the good food is!  We can tell you, show you, point you in the right direction and help you with your culinary travel plans and help show you how to have that culinary experience of a life time...right here...in Oregon!

Thanks to David and Bob at Portland Walking Tours for our very fun day!  We had a great time!

 



 

Sometimes I just can't help myself when I find something amusing on the internet.  Who doesn't like Tillamook cheese?  It's hard not to enjoy something so uniquely Oregon.  You'll find Tillamook cheese in use from our Astoria Oregon bed and breakfast inns to the Bend Oregon bed and breakfast inns and even all the way to the Prospect Historic Hotel (our Crater Lake lodging member). 

So here's the new video from Tillamook Cheese as they take their Loaf Love Tour.  The website's entertaining too, but the videos (one of the loaf tour, one of the making of the Baby Loaf VW buses) are fun too.  You'll find them both on the website.  Here's one:



Culinary tourism is the new buzz word and our Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild member inns are embarking on our own message, letting our guests know that when you stay with us, you're going to have a very local food experience.   And Oregon-made Tillamook cheese is part of that experience!

"Loaf thy neighbor" and tell that someone special "I loaf you" and while you're at it, check out some of our bed and breakfast lodging in Oregon.  We'll loaf you too!

Grant Butler, writing for The Oregonian on November 17, 2009, weaves a wonderful article about where to eat in Wine Country.  And he's got some great suggestions:

"Winter is one of the best times to discover the subtle side of wine country. With the exception of Thanksgiving weekend's open houses, tasting rooms are typically less crowded than during the peak of the summer season. So you can sip at a more leisurely pace, asking questions and building your knowledge of what makes prized pinots so wonderful. And the competition for tables at some of the region's best restaurants is not as fierce. Call ahead: Chances are good you can score a spot at one of these wonderful kitchens."

And which restaurants?  How about 10 wonderful choices (you'll have to click to his article to read about them, but they all sound simply scrumptious).

But here's the kicker.  If you're going to eat in the Oregon Wine Country, wouldn't it be nice to stay in some Oregon Wine Country lodging to round out your culinary tourism experience?  The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild boasts a whopping 25 member inns located in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  Many are located directly in the area around McMinnville, Newberg, Carlton and Dundee--smack in the middle of Grant Butler's suggested restaurant list.



For a bed and breakfast McMinnville Oregon, how about a night or two at one of these fine examples of lodging in Oregon:
A' Tuscan Estate: Full of style and centrally located in town for (perhaps) a walk to your restaurant.
Steiger Haus B&B:  Also located in town and walking distance to downtown.
Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn:  Out of town, but if you don't mind driving to dinner you'll awaken to an incredible view over the Willamette Valley.

Thinking about a quick vacation?  There are plenty of things to see and do in Northeastern Oregon in August--especially in Wallowa County.  Here's a suggestion for the weekend of August 22 and 23:

Wallowa Resources First Annual Barn Dance Fundraiser

• Saturday, August 22, 5:30 pm to 10 pm
• 5:30 pm social hour with wine tasting
• 6:30 pm dinner catered by Beth Gibans of Backyard Gardens featuring plenty of fresh, local ingredients (Oregon culinary tourism at the grass roots)
• Dance to Country Band "Diverse" with Craig Nichols
• Live auction featuring: 2 Scenic Flights over the Wallowa Mountains, Hikers Drop Camp in the Wallowa Mountains, a beautiful Palomino Filly, and a lot more.
• Tickets only $20 per person, available from Wallowa Resources at (541) 426-8053 or through local ticket outlets (see web link above).

Not only is it going to be a lot of fun, you're supporting the good works Wallowa Resources does--

Since its formation in 1996, Wallowa Resources has worked to bring people together in a common goal: to blend the ecological needs of the land with the economic needs of the community. The Organization strives to balance Wallowa County's economic well-being with the stewardship and conservation of its resources, preserving the area's heritage of making a living from the land.

What could be better than that?

And you'll need somewhere to stay before and after the dance.  There's some wonderful lodging in Oregon to be found in Wallowa County: 

Keep your rural weekend theme going by staying at the Barking Mad Farm Bed & Breakfast.  Diana & Hunter will be happy to host you in their much-less-than-rustic guestrooms on their farm overlooking Joseph and Enterprise Oregon.  Just because they're Oregon lodging pet friendly doesn't mean that they've gone to the dogs!

Nearby Alder Slope Bed & Breakfast also gives you the opportunity to bring along your horse for the weekend.  Give Jerry or Barrie a call when you're ready to pull that trailer to some of the most spectacular locations for Oregon trail riding in the Wallowa Mountains.

If city lodging is more your style, both Belle Pepper's Bed & Breakfast and the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast are located in the town of Joseph Oregon.  Enjoy your barn dance, but stay in town for the shops, art galleries and restaurants of this art colony town.
 

Today it's Spring and tomorrow is the first day of Summer.  For those of you that know how lovely our summers are here in Oregon, know that this is the perfect place for fun in the sun, eating really good food and of course enjoying a night or two at one of Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild's membership inns.  We always set the standards high but with all the garden treasures this time of year, culinary tourism at our our Oregon Bed and Breakfasts is at it's peak!

Some of us innkeeper types are highly skilled, expertly trained chefs and then some of us just love to cook really good food.  So, in choosing where to stay this summer, remember Oregon Bounty isn't just found in the fields of greens or the orchards on the hills, it is found at each breakfast table inside the finest bed and breakfasts in Oregon.  So, sit down and enjoy the feast as Oregon takes you on a culinary tour that lasts throughout the summer and extends in to what I call, "the entire food year".

Enjoy the following recipe for Spring Frittata.  Tomorrow we call it Summer Frittata but still almost all my ingredients come from our Albany Farmer's Market and my sweet garden.  I can never behave when it comes to being creative in my cooking, so as you will see, I have modified this recipe to include my own basil trio and cilantro instead of parsley. Enjoy!

Spring Frittata

8 ounces asparagus, tough ends removed, broken into irregular pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium new or red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 red bell pepper cut in to 2 inch strips
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cubed cooked ham
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons chopped parsley ( or chopped cilantro)
1 tablespoon fresh basil ( or a mixture of Thai Basil, Sweet Basil and Purple Basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Place cubed red potatoes, bell pepper, green onions, and garlic on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with olive oil.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, toss then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes till potatoes looked fried.  (I do this the night before and refrigerate till morning). 

Steam asparagus for 2-3 minutes or until tender in salted water.  Drain and mix with cooked potato mixture, cilantro and basil.

Place all in a well oiled cast iron pan or casserole dish along with chopped ham (can leave out to make vegetarian), and pour eggs mixed with milk, salt and pepper over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.  Top with crumbled blue cheese and bake 2 more minutes. 

Serve from pan along with cinnamon crumb cake, farmer's market pork sausage, and a fresh bowl of berries, vanilla yogurt and homemade granola.

See you soon!

So, what does the Aviation Museum in McMinnville and wine tasting have in common?  Hopefully nothing and everything! 

All located within a few miles of each other, the Aviation Museum that houses the Spruce Goose among many other airplanes, space capsules and rockets, makes for wine tasting in the Willamette Valley quite the perfect pairing.

My family from Arizona and California visiting this week wanted to experience something new, something tasty and something very "Oregon", so I made a list!  My list included visiting four wineries that included Panther Creek in McMinnville, Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg, Argyle Winery and Sokol-Blosser Winery both in Dundee.  My list also included a visit to Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, the mall at Pioneer Square, and of course a nice cold one at Deschutes Brewery in the Pearl. 

So, backing up a bit, I made my list but you know how lists go.  We only made it to Adelsheim Vineyard and Sokol-Blosser.  We kind of got stuck in a good way at the museum.  Breathtaking and so worth the trip, the Aviation Museum is a "must see" in Oregon. It's a shame if you skip this and head straight for the wine!  Although they offer free wine tasting at the museum from their own grapes grown on sight.  Who could ask for more?

If you are wondering what to do and where to go to get the "entire Oregon experience" in one day, make a list or just "wing" it.  Either way, there is so much to do and see, you may need a week!

Quite a long day in the heart of Oregon wine country with our family, paired with the best of Culinary Tourism in Portland and ending perfectly by going back to Albany for a lovely night's rest in an Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild inn.  Perfectly delightful! 

It's that time of year!  If you haven't already sat down with your family, your honey or your best friend and planned your summer vacation, do it now! 

This motorcycle and side car husband and wife were our guests recently at The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn.  So much fun and what a cool bike!  From San Luis Obispo to Ashland then here to Albany.  These lovely guests were the first of many to bike or bicycle to this area of the Willamette Valley this season.  From now until the leaves fall in late autumn, the weather is perfect for that long bike ride and we have a whole lotta bicyclists already booked here at The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn.

On the road all day whether your pedaling, riding or sitting in a sidecar, makes for very hungry guests.  Oregon Bed and Breakfasts are gearing up to feed our summer visitors and get them started with full tummies and that satisfied grin as they head out the door for more adventure.

This recipe is my most recent favorite.  It is very simple, very tasty, full of protein but mostly a gorgeous presentation at the breakfast table.  I got most of my ingredients from our local farmer's market so again using local, organic and fresh is what we do here supporting Oregon Culinary Tourism at it's tastiest!

Fried Egg and Sausage Ciabatta Breakfast Pizza

1 loaf ciabatta bread (about 1 pound)
1 cup chopped green onions
8 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces sliced hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese
1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
8 large eggs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees "F".  Cut bread horizontally in half.  Place bread halves, cut side up, on separate baking sheets.  Mix onions and 6 tablespoons oil in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reserve 2 tablespoons onion and oil and spread remaining onion oil over bread.  Top with cheese.

Saute' Italian sausages in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with spoon.  Divide sausage among bread halves. Bake pizzas until cheese melts and bread begins to crisp, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry 4 eggs in a little oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange the eggs atop each pizza and spoon reserved onion olive oil over eggs.  Cut each pizza between eggs into 4 pieces.

This breakfast pizza is a meal in its own but goes well with a big bowl of cantaloupe or broiled pink grapefruit. 

So, if you are looking for that "perfect ride", check out an Oregon Bed & Breakfast.  From Ashland to Portland and Hood River to the Oregon Coast choose from almost 100 very cool, very accommodating and very much ready to welcome you and your bike to Oregon. 

See you soon!

Ok, so I never and I mean "never" eat doughnuts.  Well, just this one time I ate one.  But it was a vegan doughnut.  So, does that count???

My last 24 hours in Portland have been full.  And I really mean full in every sense of the word.  For my husbands birthday, we headed north and my goal was to check out as many little "out of the way" cafes and restaurants we could.  So I had a doughnut this morning at Voodoo Doughnuts.  I have wanted to try these doughnuts ever since moving to Oregon especially when I found out that it's an Oregon Wedding Site.  I'm serious!  Let me just say it was an experience and we may do it again.  But, our culinary tour created by "me", began last evening at OMSI.  

OMSI is one of those kind of museums that entertains the entire family.  However, last evening it was open only to adults 21 and over.  Serving wine, beer and distilled spirits, the museum offered an OMSI After Dark experience that allowed us to set off rockets, build and fly paper airplanes, control a robot and watch electricity go through your hand and make your hair stand on end.  Well, that could have been the beer or wine but it was still fun to watch.  Star Parties, the CSI Crime Scene Exhibit and the After Dark events are happening at OMSI all summer long.  

Leaving the museum, we needed a little something to start off the "food" part of our tour.  We happened upon The Clarklewis.  This restaurant was a loading dock in a former life and now serves up tasty items such as Blue Bird Farm Farro Soup with Rapini, Pecorina and Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Saute'ed Sand Dabs with Oregon Asparagus, Fresh Bay Shrimp and Vermouth Butter.  Wasn't on my list, but it is now!

Stumptown Coffee and our Voodoo Doughnuts got us going this morning as we headed to Portland's Northeast District.  Taking the bus, we landed near La Buca (google for info), and after attending an art show, we sat and dined on several varieties of olives, crusty bread, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and of course an Oregon Pinot Noir.  This little cafe was not on my list either but you know how lists go.  Two of the cafes on my list have closed, one for remodeling.  So, we made a new list and headed for the Morrison Bridge. The Montage in Portland is directly under the bridge and offers up frog legs, gator bites, and blackened catfish.  The location was worth the walk and with it's interesting menu, it stays on our new list of places to dine.

Didn't eat the Mancakes but saw a Neo Blast Omelet, a BLT and burgers on the menu.  Stepping Stone Cafe is located in the North West area of Portland and serves "Mancakes" with a challenge to finish them all.  If you do, your picture goes on their "wall of shame".  So, we just tried the safe tomato and Gorgonzola soup. 

Gnocchi with wild mushrooms and white truffle oil and an angel hair pasta dish finished our list at the London Grill in the Benson Hotel, downtown Portland. With dining options that include a secret back door that leads to the private cellar,  you can dine surrounded by over 6,000 bottles of wine.  In the lower level of the Benson Hotel, this restaurant was the perfect night cap to end this "foodies" culinary tour of Portland, Oregon.  

So, I encourage you to make your list, don't feel obligated to stick to it, and enjoy a "full" day exploring one of the most sought after culinary tourist destinations in the Pacific Northwest.  

All throughout the Willamette Valley, farmer's markets are popping up their tents, propping up their tables and unloading their farm and garden treasures for anyone seeking a purely organic culinary experience.  Culinary tourism here is fast becoming the reason why people are planning their entire vacations around food.  It is also one of the top 10 reasons why someone chooses a destination to begin with. 

Almost two years ago, Sunset Magazine wrote an article on the Willamette Valley and why it is such a treasure trove of really good, fresh, wholesome food.  Because of that article, Matt Bennett, owner of Sybaris and Clemenza's in Albany still receives guests that have traveled just to taste the bounty he prepares and serves in his restaurants.  With monthly menu changes, Matt uses his culinary skills to prepare his classical meals using only the freshest ingredients found in the region.

Jack and Heidi Czarnecki own The Joel Palmer House in Dayton and have also given visitors to Oregon a reason to eat really good food.  On the Oregon and National Historic Registers, The Joel Palmer House is home to one of the finest restaurants in the Willamette Valley.  Gathering mushrooms on the property along with other locally grown ingredients such as greens, herbs and vegetables, the dishes prepared and served here are spectacular.  Using a method they refer to as "freestyle", Jack and Heidi also use ingredients found in Mexico, China, Thailand, Poland and India.  For example, taste Joe's Wild Mushroom Soup or Heidi's 3 Mushroom Tart or the Rack of Lamb Palmer House with Hazelnut Pepper Sauce and Jalapeno Cornbread, oh my gosh!  You can't stop there, so try the Cheesecake with Dayton Berry Sauce or the Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding. 

French Prairie Gardens in St. Paul, Oregon is the epitome of the "farm to table" experience.  So, if you decide to plan your Oregon vacation around "food", visit the gardens in St. Paul on your way home.  Be sure to bring your farmer's market basket and fill it with fresh vegetables, breads, fruits, muffins, scones, cobblers and anything else your heart or belly desires.  This 500 acre farm offers a little bit of all that is good and fertile in the Willamette Valley.  The rural setting, the animals, the food so fresh from the soil, this farm is another reason why culinary tourism here in Oregon is the heart of sustainability and simply a really good reason to dine on really good food.

And, after you have dined, check out or into an Oregon Bed & Breakfast.  In Albany, you have your choice of three Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild membership inns.  The Train House Inn, Edelweiss Manor or The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn.  In and around St. Paul and Dayton, The Lobenhaus Bed & Breakfast offers a full Oregon Bounty breakfast prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients from their own gardens or local farmer's market.  

So many ways to taste all that is fertile and good here in the Willamette Valley.  Culinary tourism at it's tastiest!

You'll find four Oregon Bed and Breakfasts that are members of the Oregon B&B Guild here in Wallowa County.  All four are dedicated to supporting local agriculture and sustainability of our local farms and ranches:

Barking Mad Farm Country B&B and the Alder Slope Bed and Breakfast are both located between Joseph and Enterprise, Oregon, on the high ground (called Alder Slope) with commanding views of the countryside.  Barking Mad Farm is also an Oregon lodging pet friendly B&B.

In the town of Joseph you'll find both Belle Pepper's Bed & Breakfast and the Bronze Antler B&B.   These two B&B utilize farm-fresh eggs generously produced by 22 laying hens who live at Belle Pepper's Bed & Breakfast.  We even encourage our guests to take home a dozen or two.

As much fun as a stay at the Oregon Coast hotels can be, a trip to Northeastern Oregon is something that can be fun, educational and tasty too.  Ask your innkeeper about Source Tours when planning your Eastern Oregon vacation this year.

Epicure:  a person devoted to pleasure and refined sensuous enjoyment, especially for good food and drink!  That is what you can get in Portland, Oregon.  Yes, it's a "foodie" tour and it sounds heavenly.  The Portland Epicurean Tour takes you on a wonderful journey through Portland letting you taste a bit of what makes this area of Oregon one of the most sought after "food lovers" heaven and the center for culinary tourism.  Go through the back door of a distillery and sample the gin or rum and restaurants to check out the beer, coffees, chocolates, bagels, pizzas, gelatos, cheese's and salmon.  Every tour is a little different with it's own offering of foods and drink and appeases even the most refined appetites. 

As an innkeeper, I as many of my fellow innkeepers, believe it's almost always "about the food!"  In our local travels, we have discovered the joy in finding some new way to use the fresh, local and organic ingredients found in abundance at road side stands and farmer's markets in Oregon.  In Oregon wine country, you not only find wine grapes, but there are berries growing on the sides of the road, greens growing in rows along winding streets and huge gorgeous pears hanging off trees in the orchards in the Mt. Hood region. So, how can it not be about the food. 

The fact is, Oregon has always been in the forefront when it comes to "culinary tourism" and "sustainability".  Long before good, local and fresh foods became the popular trend, Oregon led the way in culinary tourism because of all the agricultural treasures found here.  Pair all that great food with some spectacular travel options and you have found the perfect draw for visitors seeking the perfect vacation.

The Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast and The River Walk Inn, both Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild inns, share some of their recipes on line along with other websites that offer many recipes that are typically used at bed and breakfasts.  Some Oregon Bed and Breakfasts even offer cooking classes often included in the cost your room giving you and your innkeeper the opportunity to share recipes, a meal, and of course the fun. Finding the goods, and taking advantage of the local "booty", is the prime goal for the makings of the perfect meal. 

If you are a "foodie", love to cook, and enjoy the whole bed and breakfast package, you might be an epicure!  Go to www.obbg.org and click on the "Oregon Bounty" logo to see how Oregon Bed and Breakfasts are using local ingredients in their menu's and still leading the pack in "culinary tourism" in Oregon.

 

It's always an intense but fun & rewarding experience when the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild board gets together for a meeting and the meeting this week was no exception.  Since we're a small group we could forego the Salem Oregon hotels and hold our meeting at our Administrative Assistant's home in Salem Oregon.
































Pictured back row (L to R): Wayne Bailey (Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn); Debbie Lusk (The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn); Sandy Parker (Britannia at Terwilliger Vista); Patrick Arbuckle (Forest Springs B&B @ The Historic Heiney House); Tana Phemester (Nob Hill Riverview B&B); Anne-Marie Lizet (C'est la Vie Inn).  Pictured front row (L to R): Fred Wickman (Prospect Historic Hotel, Motel & Dinner House); Mary Pellegrini (Old Parkdale Inn); Heather Tyreman (Bronze Antler B&B).  Not pictured: Suzanne Hansche (Blue Plum Inn); Jane Nichols (Hood River B&B); Pam Walter (Heron House B&B).

So, what'd we do?  The short list:

1.  Welcomed 5 new board members and one President-Elect (!)
2.  Discussed our collaboration with Travel Oregon's Culinary Tourism program, National Geographic's Central Cascades Geo-Tourism Project and the Northwest Coalition of Bed & Breakfast Associations.
3.  Heard a report from our board members attending the recent Oregon Governor's Conference on Tourism.
4.  Discussed our new OBBG website under development.
5.  Had a wonderful potluck lunch including wines supplied by one of our Oregon wine country lodging members, Youngberg Hill Vineyards.  Thank you, Wayne!

Our next meeting will be Monday & Tuesday, November 9-10, 2009 at the Lobenhaus Bed Breakfast and Vineyard near Carlton, Oregon.  If you're an OBBG member and would like to learn more about the board and what a great time we have working for you, give a call--there are still three positions vacant!