Announcement announcement announcement!!!! I'm moving my blog over to a Wordpress site. Past posts are still viewable, I just wanted a fresh start, more flexibility and creativity to do what I really want to do with my site. Look forward to seeing you over there!
THEBAKINGBIRD.COM
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8.22.2012
8.20.2012
My First (Official) Meal in Portland: Bollywood Theater
As many of you may know, I traveled to Portland quite a bit and tested out the foodie scene rather extensively prior to moving here. Each trip I planned for myself was full of food. Literally. I'd find out about a new vegan bakery or artisan ice cream shop and plan my life around making sure I tried a few goodies during my stay. When I'd return home, I'd follow Portland restaurant news feeds and blogs to make sure I was on the up-and-up with anything new in store to put on my "must go there" list. Well you can be sure that the moment I found out about this place, I about died.
The Bollywood Theater.
I am an avid admirer in all spectrums of Indian culture. Beliefs, culture, etiquette, language, religion, cuisine, the spices, colors, decor, clothing, lifestyle... you name it. It is on the top of my places to visit list. So when I can get a little taste of just a few of those things in the meantime in a place like this without having to travel thousands of miles, I'm all over it. Upscale Indian street comfort food, colorful walls and imagery, mis-matched furniture with character and rustic design, foreign Bollywood film and shrines are what make this place like a little piece of heaven.
So when my boyfriend said we were going to go out to dinner here my first real official night of being a "Portlander", I was ecstatic.
We ordered a variety of different dishes to get a well-rounded sense of the place. First was this, the chicken curry.
Everything is subtly spiced, not overdone, and balanced in every sense. The paratha was my absolute favorite... I could get enough.
This was, by far, my favorite thing of all. The Kati Wrap filled with paneer, egg, pickled onion, and green chutney rolled in a paratha. I was totally in heaven. I could have just ordered that and been happy.
I'm a true beet lover in every sense of the word, so I was mostly looking forward to trying this dish. I have no idea how they did it, but the presentation and taste was exquisite. The extra touch of sauteed mustard seeds was perfect.
I heard much about this, the Pimm's Cup. I'd never tried Pimm's before and figured this was the perfect time to satisfy that curiosity. Ginger syrup, lemon juice, cucumber juice, and a splash of soda water is what made this a perfect accompaniment to the meal.
What a wonderful way to start off my celebratory move to Portland. I'm so glad it began like this.
8.11.2012
Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread
Some things can be kind of bananas.
Like standing out in the 103 degree sun (the hottest day of the year thus far in PDX) last Saturday for 7 hours while checking IDs and making sure people were containing their beer within a small area while I nearly had a heat stroke.
Like a big group of fiddling, banjo'ing drunks blasting their music in the middle of a campground waking everyone up around them at 3am two mornings in a row, strumming until the sun rose, and not being able to tell them to STFU.
Like arriving sick on the first of a three day festival, one that you've been looking forward to for the last 363 days, and feeling miserable the entire time especially with those annoying drunks waking you up in the middle of the night.
(The last three examples I am referring to attending this years Pickathon festival, where 80% of the time it felt like a complete drag to be there... which is unfortunate because otherwise it could be pretty cool. It wasn't all that bad, though, don't get me wrong... I saw Neko Case perform live TWICE and it almost almost made up for it. I'll show you some pictures so it at least looks like it wasn't all that terrible... let's just say we won't be volunteering again anytime soon.)
But enough with the negative banana stuff (had to get it off my chest, y'know...).
Not being in much of a mood to eat many bananas lately when I'm usually a very frequent banana eater... THAT'S bananas.
So what do I do? Buy a bundle of those 19 cent bananas at TJ's, pretend I'm actually going to eat them, but instead forget all about them until they have freckles all over them and feel mushy.
And then Kylie says to herself, "hmm... I should make some banana bread!" and then forgets she says such things.
Until last night in the middle of making dinner, she says out loud to her boyfriend, "I was going to make banana bread today, darnit! Do you like banana bread?"
"OMG YES I LOVE BANANA BREAD. I used to eat it all the time as a child... it was one of my favorite things", boyfriend says.
Done.
I was going to make my tried-and-true vegan banana bread recipe but didn't have any molasses or apple sauce on hand. So, I decided to refer to my new Joy The Baker cookbook because duh, she makes banana bread like nobody's business and of course she'd have a recipe.
Not only does she have a recipe, but she has a chocolate BOURBON spiked banana bread recipe. Bananas!
Even amidst being in the middle of this terrible cold and losing 15% of my taste buds the night I want to devour this crazy banana bread goodness, I could tell it was delicious. Within 5 seconds of handing my boyfriend a bowl of this paired with some frozen vanilla greek yogurt, he goes, "Man, that's some good banana bread..." That was all I needed to hear.
Update: This morning we had it for breakfast with peanut butter. Nothing new to me, but it was his first time trying it. I know, he was totally missing out on life this whole time... he never knew. Poor thing.
I can taste better this morning, and can most assuredly say it's wonderful and tastes just like the classic BB recipe my stepmom would make all the time. Instant home comfort.
Ok, one more thing that's really bananas and then I'll give you the recipe. THIS. Yes. This afternoon I am going to a cat circus. As stated in the Portland Mercury several weeks ago, "they will be pushing carts, riding skateboards, rolling barrels, ringing bells, turning on lights, walking tight ropes, jumping through hoops, and much more! Their house band is called the RockCats!" If you don't think that's 'effin cool, I don't know what is. SO STOKED.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (I used golden brown)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (~3)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or any mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add bananas, lemon juice, and bourbon. Beat until well incorporated.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the rest of the ingredients with a spatula.
Spoon mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. You have the option of inverting it onto a wire rack but I just kept mine in the loaf pan!
Like standing out in the 103 degree sun (the hottest day of the year thus far in PDX) last Saturday for 7 hours while checking IDs and making sure people were containing their beer within a small area while I nearly had a heat stroke.
Like a big group of fiddling, banjo'ing drunks blasting their music in the middle of a campground waking everyone up around them at 3am two mornings in a row, strumming until the sun rose, and not being able to tell them to STFU.
Like arriving sick on the first of a three day festival, one that you've been looking forward to for the last 363 days, and feeling miserable the entire time especially with those annoying drunks waking you up in the middle of the night.
(The last three examples I am referring to attending this years Pickathon festival, where 80% of the time it felt like a complete drag to be there... which is unfortunate because otherwise it could be pretty cool. It wasn't all that bad, though, don't get me wrong... I saw Neko Case perform live TWICE and it almost almost made up for it. I'll show you some pictures so it at least looks like it wasn't all that terrible... let's just say we won't be volunteering again anytime soon.)
Beautiful light leaks shining on our monstrous, luxurious 6 PERSON tent.
$30 score at the flea market, thankyouverymuch. Brand new, too!
Yeah, I was all smiles the first few hours...
Crazy Pickathon mannequin heads.
Sonny & the Sunsets at the Woods Stage.
LOVE IT.
"No shh-ing zone" SUCKS ASS.
I can assure you my feet were way dirtier than this photo demonstrates.
Not doing it much justice at all...
THEY WERE HERE.
Although boyfriend was the only smart one to snag a sandwich.
I never did.
I drank several of these $7 green smoothies.
The ones I make are better.
Already dirty and sweaty.
We ate a lot of this...
Coconut lemon saffron sorbet is where it's at, yo.
Yes!
Lots of cute kids eating ice cream.
This happened...
For breakfast.
Yeah I bought an entire $3 bag of ice.
Just for myself.
Saved my life.
Literally.
Some stickers from last year.
The beer garden, where we worked although we were (sadly) not pourers.
This bar is jawsome.
I have a crush on it.
Water tower bucket boy.
Beer cop, 10-40.
We were only smiling because we just had showers.
That was the only time we smiled during the entire weekend...pretty much.
The amazing, talented and beautiful Neko Case.
Blitzen Trapper rocked the house.
Love this woman's tattoo.
Hammocks!
More like heatwave desert storm.
Other highlight of the weekend: this kid's booth set up for $1 portraits.
We got one of us together...
Pikcathon 2102 foreva!
Totally depicts how we looked the entire weekend.
But enough with the negative banana stuff (had to get it off my chest, y'know...).
Not being in much of a mood to eat many bananas lately when I'm usually a very frequent banana eater... THAT'S bananas.
So what do I do? Buy a bundle of those 19 cent bananas at TJ's, pretend I'm actually going to eat them, but instead forget all about them until they have freckles all over them and feel mushy.
And then Kylie says to herself, "hmm... I should make some banana bread!" and then forgets she says such things.
Until last night in the middle of making dinner, she says out loud to her boyfriend, "I was going to make banana bread today, darnit! Do you like banana bread?"
"OMG YES I LOVE BANANA BREAD. I used to eat it all the time as a child... it was one of my favorite things", boyfriend says.
Done.
I was going to make my tried-and-true vegan banana bread recipe but didn't have any molasses or apple sauce on hand. So, I decided to refer to my new Joy The Baker cookbook because duh, she makes banana bread like nobody's business and of course she'd have a recipe.
Not only does she have a recipe, but she has a chocolate BOURBON spiked banana bread recipe. Bananas!
Even amidst being in the middle of this terrible cold and losing 15% of my taste buds the night I want to devour this crazy banana bread goodness, I could tell it was delicious. Within 5 seconds of handing my boyfriend a bowl of this paired with some frozen vanilla greek yogurt, he goes, "Man, that's some good banana bread..." That was all I needed to hear.
Update: This morning we had it for breakfast with peanut butter. Nothing new to me, but it was his first time trying it. I know, he was totally missing out on life this whole time... he never knew. Poor thing.
I can taste better this morning, and can most assuredly say it's wonderful and tastes just like the classic BB recipe my stepmom would make all the time. Instant home comfort.
Ok, one more thing that's really bananas and then I'll give you the recipe. THIS. Yes. This afternoon I am going to a cat circus. As stated in the Portland Mercury several weeks ago, "they will be pushing carts, riding skateboards, rolling barrels, ringing bells, turning on lights, walking tight ropes, jumping through hoops, and much more! Their house band is called the RockCats!" If you don't think that's 'effin cool, I don't know what is. SO STOKED.
Big banana bourbon birtha spilleth ova.
Mommom's Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread
by Joy The BakerMakes one 8x4 or 9x5-inch loaf2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (I used golden brown)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (~3)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or any mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add bananas, lemon juice, and bourbon. Beat until well incorporated.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the rest of the ingredients with a spatula.
Spoon mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. You have the option of inverting it onto a wire rack but I just kept mine in the loaf pan!
8.10.2012
Let's Start Over, Shall We?
My goodness. I have so totally neglected this blog for far too long. It's ok, Baking Bird, I promise I haven't broken up with you for good. There's still hope. You see, I am finally (slowly) getting my life back to "normal"... (normal as in done with dental hygiene school! Hallelujah!) But not normal in the sense that pretty much everything is not how it used to be.
I moved.
To a different state.
To my new favorite state.
To my new favorite place.
Portland, of course! (Betcha couldn't see that one coming!)
I'm on my 6th week now. I found a one bedroom apartment that I am completely in love with, in the most ideal location I could possibly imagine. Everything is so convenient. I have practically everything I need around me (except my close family and friends). But I'm ok. 700 miles isn't all that far.
This has been my first time moving out, so getting used to this independence is liberating, exhilarating, and exactly what I have been looking forward to. All of the planning paid off, and everything fell into place.
Of course it gets lonely at times, but that's to be expected. I don't really feel as though I completely belong yet. I feel like I walk around with a sign on my chest declaring I'm not a "Portland native". But who cares anyway? I'm the only one keeping tabs. I just haven't really felt motivated to go out and meet anyone in particular. I still just want to plant my roots at home and be antisocial until I feel right, whatever that "right" feeling is... that's ok, right? I'm still unemployed, in the process of finally achieving licensure to get legit (SO TIRED OF THIS RIGAMAROLE... SO TIRED). It's kind of killing my spirits, actually. Having worked this hard for so many years, coming this far, and I am so close to finally closing that chapter of actually achieving this "thing", an RDH license... it's effing exhausting to be honest. I know it'll all happen eventually, but c'mon already. I know that once I get the structure of a job (I hate putting conditions on things, but it's true), I'll be able to spread my wings and explore other avenues from there.
I have been keeping plenty busy though. Within 3 weeks, I became a proud new kitty momma by adopting the new love of my life, Señor Capistrano.
He's a little stink butt, but I love him so.
We've been chillin', hard core.
I live 2 blocks away from this wonderful park.
I moved.
To a different state.
To my new favorite state.
To my new favorite place.
Portland, of course! (Betcha couldn't see that one coming!)
I'm on my 6th week now. I found a one bedroom apartment that I am completely in love with, in the most ideal location I could possibly imagine. Everything is so convenient. I have practically everything I need around me (except my close family and friends). But I'm ok. 700 miles isn't all that far.
This has been my first time moving out, so getting used to this independence is liberating, exhilarating, and exactly what I have been looking forward to. All of the planning paid off, and everything fell into place.
Of course it gets lonely at times, but that's to be expected. I don't really feel as though I completely belong yet. I feel like I walk around with a sign on my chest declaring I'm not a "Portland native". But who cares anyway? I'm the only one keeping tabs. I just haven't really felt motivated to go out and meet anyone in particular. I still just want to plant my roots at home and be antisocial until I feel right, whatever that "right" feeling is... that's ok, right? I'm still unemployed, in the process of finally achieving licensure to get legit (SO TIRED OF THIS RIGAMAROLE... SO TIRED). It's kind of killing my spirits, actually. Having worked this hard for so many years, coming this far, and I am so close to finally closing that chapter of actually achieving this "thing", an RDH license... it's effing exhausting to be honest. I know it'll all happen eventually, but c'mon already. I know that once I get the structure of a job (I hate putting conditions on things, but it's true), I'll be able to spread my wings and explore other avenues from there.
I have been keeping plenty busy though. Within 3 weeks, I became a proud new kitty momma by adopting the new love of my life, Señor Capistrano.
He's a little stink butt, but I love him so.
We've been chillin', hard core.
I live 2 blocks away from this wonderful park.
They played Back To The Future here a few weeks ago.
Anyway, I just renewed my Flickr account so I have no excuses now... I will blog more now, I promise!! My goodness, how I've missed this. I have lots of (backlogged) recipes to share with you, experiences, restaurants I've been to, etc.
If you're still listening (or watching/reading), please say hello! I'm looking forward to being reconnected with all of you again.
XO
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