courtney jade’s blog

Being an artist seems to come with a few fun, yet random, perks. One of my favorite (and this one is not so random), is having a good network of creative friends. I am constantly inspired, challenged, and encouraged by my creative network of friends (I will now refer to them as my CNF), and I often find myself feeling very blessed to know such talented and amazing people.

Some of the people in my CNF I have known since childhood, others, I happen to meet here and there, and everywhere (Thank you Dr. Suess!). More recently, at one of our favorite “spots”, Jade, we met Josh. Josh was our waiter the first time that we went to Jade, and he was probably the friendliest waiter I’ve ever had. You can read more about our first trip to Jade here.

Anyways, Josh is a foodie himself. I’m not quite sure if he refers to himself as that, but he definitely knows the best places in Portland to eat good food. He has a blog called PDXploration where he writes and posts photos of his dining experiences. Check it out, he has some great info and his pics are awesome! He sets up group dinners once in a while for his CNF, and I was lucky enough to be added to the list!

This is the first of the group dinners that we were able to attend, but it definitely won’t be the last! A group of fun, creative people, delicious food, and a warm inviting atmosphere is sure to mean a good time!
And now, I will relish and reminisce all about our fabulous, awesomely delicious dinner ::siiigghhh::

Taste Unique
Just a few blocks (literally) from the house that I grew up in, in my old neighborhood, there is a freshly renovated strip of buildings. In that little block, is a cute little place called “Taste Unique”. They say themselves that “Taste Unique isn’t a real restaurant. If you walk in at lunchtime we will seat up to 10 people and you can choose
one of our daily specials, but our appearance places us somewhere between a Bistro and a Deli.”

They have an array of delicious dishes that you can take home and reheat for your family as well. They also offer cooking classes, and hold special dinner events once in a while. Check out their calendar for the most up to date happenings!

The owners, husband and wife, are extremely friendly! They are kind, warm, and well, let’s be honest, who doesn’t get that cozy new best friend feeling when being fed amazing foods by someone? Ok, maybe it’s just me…. hahaha! Anyways, they are great! Lawrence is from Rome, Stefani from Italy, and together, they create some fantastic dishes!

We started off with the Millefoglie di Verdure- delicious multilayered casserole of 7 different vegetables.

This was INSANELY delicious!! Each vegetable is cooked separately and then stacked, so you get the most flavor out of each  different ingredient. (Mark’s favorite was the zucchini on top- YUM!) Stefani explained to us that when she was in cooking class, they spent a LOT of time practicing cutting vegetables, so instead of tossing them, she found a way to make something delicious out of them… ok, well she was modest, I added the delicious part! I can’t help it! I felt like a judge on Iron Chef eating this one, superb quality.

Needless to say, I don’t think any of us left a morsel of this dish on our plates.

Next was the Risotto con gli Asparagi- Risotto with asparagus and a drop of lemon. Topped with real home ground Parmigiano.

Ummm, can you say “comfort food”??? This dish was something I could eat on a daily basis. The cheese, the asparagus, the risotto… mmmm it was all just sooo yummy!

Up next, just when I was almost full, came the next dish- Fettine al Marsala Beef cutlets cooked in Marsala and served with ‘summer style’ mashed potato side.

I also snagged a couple shots of them preparing this dish in the open kitchen

This dish was incredible. The food was all so simple, so pure. The flavors were bold and rich, you could really taste the Marsala, the beef, the potatoes mixed with celery root. Truly gourmet food.
They also served us fresh foccacia bread (baked every hour, fresh) with an olive oil and some type of salt sprinkled on top. I’ve never had bread that wasn’t garlic bread that was SO good!!

For dessert, we had -Maritozzi con la Panna -fresh baked sweet bread stuffed with whipped cream. One of the most famous Roman traditions.

Simple, light, fluffy, a tad bit sweet… I could have eaten about 4 of these they were so good! Lawrence was telling us that in Rome, they are no kind of delicacy at all, more that they are “street food”, served in bars, dunked in coffee (which would have also been REALLY good).

Even baby Maya loved it!

We were also served fresh Caffè, which is more amazing than regular espresso or coffee. First, the little cup is coated with a sweet cream, then the espresso is poured in. The sugar in the cream stabilizes the shots of espresso so that it doesn’t turn bitter, and it also leaves a beautiful creme on the top. Y-U-M! Mark doesn’t even like coffee, but he didn’t leave a drop of this liquid deliciousness behind!!!

The restaurant itself also has a warm charm. It is decorated with old family photos and real kitchen gadgets that have been handed down from generations before. They even have some articles of clothing hanging from the ceiling that were given to Stefani from her family. Their logo is brilliant, a silhouette of Stefani’s mother, from an old photo of her cooking. They also have an awesome chalkboard menu. I love chalkboard menus.

All in all, if you aren’t drooling by this point, then something must be wrong with you! If you live in the Portland area, stopping by this fabulous little joint is a must. Eat in, take something home and be the “dinner hero”, or sign up for a class. Stefani & Lawrence, the owners, are genuine and kind, and they clearly just want to share the love of good food. Mark and I will be going back for sure, Italian is my favorite, and this place is a home run! Thank you so much for your hospitality and delicious food!!! Taste Unique gets an A+ from us both.

<3

Yesterday my bestie Ben, and his sister Jenna introduced me to what is now my favorite restaurant in all of Portland: Jade Teahouse & Patisserie

Located in the adorable Sellwood neighborhood, off of 13th and SE Lexington, is a beautiful green building. One of the reasons it was love at first site was the design of everything. From the moment you spot the place driving by, to the second you walk through the door, it’s beautiful. The colors, the lighting, the furniture, even the fonts on the menu board create such an upclass, yet homey feel. You can tell that everything has been carefully thought out and cared for with a whole heart. These people want you to feel comforable!!

The atmosphere is completely beautiful and warm. There’s a peace about it, and there are fun little details everywhere. Just look at the rack of loose leaf teas!

And the menu, oh, the menu!!! Mark and I have a hard time finding a place with food that we both LOVE. Sure, there are places that he loves, and I like, or visa versa… but this place is the perfect fit! They have menu items that are more traditional or basic (but still completely flavorful and delicious), and also items for the more adventurous tongue, and everything in between. I don’t know anyone who couldn’t find something here that they didn’t absolutely love.
They have a huge variety of asian influenced dishes, as well as baguette sandwiches, soups, and delicous baked goods! The head chef pours her heart and soul into every single dish that’s prepared, and you can tell 100%. Everything tastes and looks like it was specially prepared just for you. The people are extremely friendly, and go above and beyond the norm to tell you about the cuisine, even recommending things! All of the ingredients are fresh, and though I’ve only been there twice now, it seems as though they make most everything from scratch! They have a bakery downstairs where the head chef (who apparently studied the art of french baking for a time in France [i think, can't remember exactly what our server said about this.. but I know she studied it over in Europe for a time]) prepares delicious baked cookies, macaroons, and other tastey treats!
I could go on and on all day, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves

Mark’s Thai Iced Tea & my fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade

A few cute shots of my markie <3

Our delicious food!!!

Hands down, best Pho I’ve ever eaten. Mmmmmm so good

And of course, we had to have dessert!!! Jenna was raving about their traditional cake that they make! It’s green due to the banana peels that they use in it, and it tastes like a light vanilla. The cake is moist and fluffy, and the buttercream is smooth and creamy. There’s a surprise crunchy layer in the middle of some sort of flaky pastry, and white chocolate shavings on top To. Die. For. And not too sweet either!

We also tried this traditional sesame ball treat, which I forget the name of! It was awesome!! It was like a rice/bread doughnut-like ball that was crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and it was filled with some sort of yummy almond paste and coconut. Then it comes with a sweet glazey honey caramel sauce (I think that’s what it was… it was all so delicious and went so fast I can’t be positive!).

Seriously. Best. Restaraunt. EVER. I’m officially in love, and SO excited to find a place that Mark and I are both totally blown away by! I can’t wait to go back, and I was just there 2 hours ago!!

Until we meet again Jade… <3

Mark is the light of my life, and my other half. He is the most special person to me in the entire world, and without him, I would be lost in this journey called life.

That being said, I really wanted to get him something special for our 5 year anniversary this past July. If you know Mark, than you know he is nearly impossible to buy presents for. I go through this at least 3 times a year (Birthday, Christmas, & Anniversary). After 5 years I have learned not to buy him clothes- as they probably won’t fit correctly, and so he won’t wear them. [6' 4" and thin is far from the "normal" cut on most clothes, and about as far from "big & tall". God forbid anything be too baggy, we just won't have that ] I guess growing up with a personal seamstress (his grandmother) has left him spoiled- so clothes are generally out.

He is also a minimalist- which you would know if you ever come over to our apartment. He doesn’t like “things” or “knick-nacks” (with the very rare exception of a few collectibles he keeps), so nice little things that I would, and could, spend a fortune on gathering for him will just stress him out. He likes things simple, clean, and un-cluttered (boy did he know what he was getting into 5 years ago wanting to be with me!!!!).

Over the past 5 years I’ve gotten him a speaker system for his computer, a new monitor, cologne, lots and lots of clothes (some which he hasn’t worn once, and others he just wore so my feelings wouldn’t be hurt), a nice messenger bag for when he bikes, lots of little snacks I know he loves, and an assortment of other things I can’t think of at the moment. My feelings aren’t hurt by any of this, it’s just part of who he is, and to be honest- I love that about him. His clean, simple and un-cluttered gives balance to my organized chaos.

So when our anniversary came up this year, I was at a loss of what to get him. He usually just tells me what he wants these days, and I give him the money for it because I have no idea where to get it, or what to get (Usually some part for his computer or something… I wouldn’t dare try to surprise him with the right whatever-it-is in that realm… too many chances to get it wrong). But this ruins the fun for me of gift giving. I want him to be surprised. I love that anticipation, knowing I got him something he’s going to absolutely LOVE, and seeing his face when he figures out what it is. He says it’s no big deal to him, but it is to me, so the plotting and planning must continue!!!

I was talking to my good friend Tonja, and she suggested we “go do” something together. A wonderful idea! We don’t get out of the house together much to go on explorations or do fun activities. Our schedules just recently (and FINALLY) adjusted so that we have the same days off, allowing such fun things to be planned. I thought this was the perfect idea. If you know Mark, you know that his favorite food in the entire world is Sushi. I’ve never seen him more excited to eat than when we go out for Sushi- Infact for his last birthday, all he wanted, and my gift to him, was to eat sushi for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By the end of the day, he was a very happy birthday boy, and I had spent more money on Sushi than I dreamed possible for one person.

*Note- I don’t like sushi. I know, horrible. I want to like it, I really do!! It’s so beautiful and when I see it it looks so delicious, but for some reason I cannot stand the taste. I don’t like the kelp, or seaweed or whatever it is. People tell me they can’t taste it, but it’s ALL i taste. I also don’t like crab, or raw fish… or most anything else. But I do like other Japanese dishes (preferably the cooked ones) so I get those when we go out.

So I decided that it would be fun, and a great gift to him, to take Sushi making lessons together!!! I was so very excited about it, and very excited to give it to him. He acted happy when he received the gift certificates, but the class was scheduled almost a month away. I knew though, that once we actually went, he would love it. So I took the “acted happy” for then, and just waited.

We went to Miso Magic, and our instructor was Noriko. She is just a doll!! So sweet and fun, she made our time at class extremely educational, and enjoyable. I give her the highest of all recommendations, and if anyone is looking to learn how to make delicious Japanese or Thai food, she has a wealth of knowledge and lots of good secrets!

It turned out that we were the only ones who’d signed up for our class (usually she allows up to 8 people), so we ended up getting our own private session! The lesson was held at her beautiful house in SE Portland, in her gorgeous kitchen. To my delight, we got to sit right next to a huge window! (mmmmm natural light!!!).

We started off making the sticky rice. Mark had to microwave the vinegar mixture, and then we poured it into the rice and mixed it in.

Once that was done, we let it set. Noriko then, pulled out something…….. well…. let’s just say I took a deep breath, smiled, and dug in….

Yes. Those are dead, dried, very large sardines.
We had to crack them open and take out their bones and guts. (This was for the home made Miso Soup)

Then, into the pot they went.
To say the least, Mark was VERY proud of me.

Next we had to prepare the mushrooms.

These were dried mushrooms that needed to soak a bit, but once they did, they bloomed like beautiful delicious flowers
And a little pic of Mark that I thought was cute

Onto cooking the eggs! I always wondered how this style of eggs were made… and I’ve come to find out that it take a lot of talent to make them look pretty! This is a pic of the “egg station” I worked at.

SO basically you make very thin layers of egg, wait for it to cook, and then fold it in 3′s. You do this 3 times to get a nice fluffy “egg roll”. (Sorry, i don’t know what else to call it!) But we were given the challenge of having to fold the egg using chopsticks, which, unless used with the most grace, will easily tear your thin egg layer. Needless to say, we tried our best, and they were still delicious!

I love that photo of Mark & Noriko! She’s soooo cute!! And has a great smile

Then we set up to make our rolls!

mmmmm can you resist that beautiful Avocado?! I can’t!!!

Our first rolls! (Mark on top, mine on the bottom.)

I do have to say, they looked QUITE delicious!

More fun sushi making…

And our finished rolls, all lined up, ready to be eaten!!!

Noriko cut the remaining ingredients up and mixed everything in the rice. It was a great leftover dish (A few lunches for Mark), and it made me feel good that we weren’t wasting anything!

Then we cut our rolls…

And plated them. This was my favorite part. Probably because I love making art, and this was like one big art project for me!!!

Once everything was ready, we sat down and had a nice lunch in her beautiful living room! I didn’t get any final shots of the Miso soup, but it was really good (If only I didn’t know about the sardines! That was in my head the entire time, lol)

We even had TONS of leftovers!

All-in-all, it was an afternoon very well spent! Mark told me (during, and after) that it was “seriously such a cool gift”. I knew (and hoped) that he would enjoy it as much as he did. He is an artist just like me, and his appreciation for Japanese culture, and Sushi, and Food in itself is very very deep. He LOVES to learn things, especially things that end with a yummy reward!

So in the end, my gift was a winner.

Now what to get him for his birthday…… and the journey continues….

<3