Kiwi-marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a Kiwi and Fig Sauce
And this little figgy piggy screamed “kiwi, kiwi, kiwi” all the way home!
This semi-exotic fruit lends a clean, tart flavor to savory dishes.
Author Archive: Victor
Victor Panichkul is a journalist and writer by training; a cook, wine lover and photographer by passion; and a lover of the outdoors since moving to Oregon more than 10 years ago. He is a native of Bangkok, Thailand.
New restaurant coming at Equitable Plaza
A new restaurant appears to be in the works at the Equitable Plaza in downtown Salem in the spot that was formerly Broken Bread Bistro and Crema Sushi at 380 High St. NE.
A notice on the door of the location from the OLCC shows that the restaurant’s owner/operator is Magnus Restaurant LLC and it has applied for a liquor license.
Don’t miss this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival
The first time I went to the Oregon Brewers Festival with my buddy Brent Drinkut last year, I was overwhelmed by the size and the offerings.
This year, I went on Wednesday to the first day to beat the crowds and was even more amazed than last year. The selection and variety of beers that were being poured were incredible. There were Saisons, Pilsners, Berliners, Weiss, and an amazing array of fruited beers alongside the IPAs that serve as the backbone of the festival.
Big Blue Thai BBQ relocates to South Salem
Big Blue Thai BBQ, the food cart that took North Salem by storm at Silverton Road NE has pulled up stakes and relocated to South Salem
Yummy Dumpling to open second location
Yummy Dumpling co-owner Jody Riggs confirmed that he and his wife and co-owner Jingrong Riggs are preparing to open a second Salem Location.
In an exclusive interview at their new location at 1130 Royvonne Avenue SE in South Salem in the location that previously housed The Rub, Riggs said he anticipated that the new Yummy Dumpling location would be open sometime in early August
Block 15 releases Gloria! unfiltered pilsner
Block 15 Brewing has released 16oz cans of Gloria! to a selection of bottle shops and beer bars around Oregon and they’re also now available for in-house purchase at both of Block 15’s Corvallis locations. This unfiltered pilsner will see increased distribution around Oregon throughout the summer. Gloria! will be available in cans year-round. Blending delicate malt character and […]
Coin Toss Brewing releases “Caught in a Pickle” at brew fest
Craft beer lovers and baseball fans will be able to “get their pickle on” at this weekend’s Great West Brew Fest at Walker Stadium in Southeast Portland. “Caught in a Pickle” Lager from Coin Toss Brewing Co. will be among 40 craft beers available at the festival. Just one keg of this dill-icious beer exists, concocted especially for the festival, which runs […]
Brewer’s Tasting Dinner kicks off Oregon Garden Brewfest
Brewer’s Tasting Dinner kicks off Oregon Garden Brewfest Father’s Day weekend in Silverton at the beautiful Oregon Garden
A simply delicious poached fish celebrates spring
It’s sometime amazing how a simply-prepared meal can taste so good. Such is the case with this Cod layered with cucumber slices and poached in a butter-wine sauce and served with a side of blanched rainbow chard simply dressed in olive oil and white wine vinegar. The flavors celebrate spring!
Celebrate spring with crab spring rolls
It’s springtime finally. Why not celebrate with a little Asian/Northwest fusion? It’s still Dungeness crab season in Oregon so grab some cooked dungeness crab and use it to stuff Vietnamese-style spring rolls. They’re a great way of showcasing the sweet and succulent flavor of the crab meat. The rolls are fun and easy to make. And along with noodles, spring salad mix and endless options for adding other veggies like julienned carrot, julienned cucumbers, julienned celery, spring onions, cilantro, and even chili peppers if you’re inclined to spicy, you can customize the spring rolls to your heart’s desire.
Easy and delicious Pulpo Gallego
One of the loves that I developed while living in Texas was a love for Spanish-style octopus. The first time I tasted it was at a tapas restaurant in Dallas. The octopus had been boiled, grilled and simply dressed with olive oil and lemon. Tender, smoky and tangy with lemon, it was delicious. I’ve periodically craved Pulpo Gallego since but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I got the nerve up to cook it myself. This is an easy and tasty recipe and the octopus comes out perfect every time.
A recipe that will make you game for pheasant
Roasted pheasant stuffed with wild rice served with pomegranate and persimmon sauce makes a flavorful winter dish.
Hearty stew showcases goose
Using goose meat in a stew of beef broth and wine tones down its gaminess and chanterelles, celery root and carrots add a touch of winter flavor
Thai seafood soup with Northwestern twist brings taste of tropics in winter
On a rain and blustery night last week, I decided to take a dish from my childhood memories in Bangkok, Tom Yum Kung, a pungent soup with shrimp and mushrooms swimming in lime-flavored broth, and give it a Pacific Northwest flair by adding salmon to it.
Enjoy a lazy Sunday and treat yourself to Migas
There are about as many versions of Migas as you can imagine. It’s basically scrambled eggs kicked up an infinite level, with chorizo (Mexican sausage), tomatoes, jalapeños, cheese, tortilla strips and salsa verde or salsa roja. My spouse first introduced me to Migas when we lived in Forth Worth, Texas. It’s one of those dishes that has come to remind me of what Sundays are for, relaxing and enjoying the moment and yourself.
Chase off the chills with Chicken, Tortilla and Roasted Chiles Soup
One of the things I miss most about Texas is Tex-Mex food and also our summertime sojourns to Colorado and trips through New Mexico that would expose me to the piquant flavors of the desert Southwest. It was there that I had tortilla soup for the first time, as well as roasted chiles. Until we […]
Go vegan with tasty and hearty Tex-Mex deconstructed enchiladas
Whether you’re a vegan by choice or simply looking to mix up your meals with something that’s lighter, healthy, tasty and a departure from your daily routine, it’s sometimes daunting to break out of your culinary box. This low-carb and easy recipe is ideal for someone who is diabetic.
Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad: best of both worlds
You wouldn’t normally think of combining watermelons and another summertime favorite: heirloom tomatoes. But they actually go well together. The sweetness from the watermelon brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes and the tomatoes also provide a contrasting tart note.
Tuna adventure ends with delicious Albacore Poke
Ever since I became and avid fisherman not long after moving to Oregon, I’ve dreamed of fishing for albacore tuna. But the hefty cost, time commitment and other things conspired to keep it an unrealized dream for nearly 10 years. Finally, the past week during my two-week staycation, my spouse and my mother gave me […]
Garlic whips adds texture and flavor to scrambled eggs
Garlic and asparagus are two of my favorite foods. To me, garlic whips combine the best of both: a wonderful mild garlic flavor with the green herbaceous flavor and crunchy texture of asparagus. When the weather turns nice in the spring, start looking for garlic whips to make an appearance at farmers markets and local […]
Rainbow chard adds burst of color to spring table
Swiss chard always has been a mystery to me, taking the line behind collard greens and kale, both of which I’m much more familiar with. But walking by the produce aisle at Roth’s Vista store the other day, I was stopped dead in my tracks by these beautiful specimens in the organic section, beaming like […]
Celebrate spring with dandelion greens pesto, lasagna
For most of us, dandelions are obnoxious weeds. They’re something to be pulled, yanked and banished from well-manicured lawns. But consider this: Their leaves are edible and according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, they’re full of vitamins A, B, C and D as well as minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. You can use them in most in recipes that call for spinach.
An easy and tasy smoked salmon chowder
This wonderful and rich smoked salmon chowder will take you less than 30 minutes to make and is a great dish for a cool wet night.
Turn leftover black beans and rice into breakfast treat
Let’s face it. We all face those miserly moments when faced with leftovers brought to the kitchen from the dinner table when we scrape and package leftover side dishes and main dishes into tupperware containers and place them into the fridge, vowing to finish them another day or find another use for them. But most […]
Crispy Trout with Kiwi and Mango Salsa
There’s something familiar about deep frying fish, but there’s also an exotic side. The familiar trout takes a walk on the wild side and gets a faraway flavor being deep fried and then topped with kiwi and mango salsa.
Garlic-tossed Sweet Potato and Beet Fries— Fall’s Sweet Treat
It’s fall. Chilly nights. Rainy days. Movie night at home requires a throw blanket, a warm fireplace a chick flick or buddy flick to warm the heart, and a switch from a glass of white wine or amber beer to a glass of hearty red wine or a stout beer. What to do for finger food? Forget the popcorn or bag of chips. Savor the sweet flavors of fall with sweet potato and beet fries, kicked up a notch by tossing with garlic seasoning.
Roasted Parsnips, Carrots and Delicata Squash Tossed with Sautéed Mustard Greens
For those of you making a mad dash to the grocery store because you’ve procrastinated until now to deal with your Thanksgiving dinner, this is probably too late for you, but if you’re tired of yams and mashed potatoes, there’s nothing that says fall to me more than some under-appreciated root vegetables like parsnips and beets. Add some delicata squash, a wonderfully sweet squash that beats out acorn squash, with it’s edible skin, the old carrot stand-by and toss in olive oil and garlic seasoning and pop in the oven and before you know it, you’ll have a wonderful melange of flavors that screams fall is here and enjoy the bounty.
A meal of memories: Albacore Enchiladas with Cream and Mexican Cheese Sauce
Call it a mid-life crisis. Call it sentimental. Call it what you will.
I think that cooking is a way of conveying love and sharing a meal means sharing that love.
I was thinking of my cousin’s recent visit when I pulled the albacore out of the freezer and decided to make albacore enchiladas. I had purchased the fish in Newport, right off the boat, while my cousin and his wife were taking a tour of Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
