Paley's Place Portland

Chef Vitaly Paley and his wife have crafted this unique restaurant along the gritty throws of Northwest 21st Avenue in Portland.  We ended up there last evening for LoverBoy's birthday meal.  Unbeknownst to him, I'd had an unexpected conversation the prior evening with a friend who just happened to mention Paley's Place to me....and how much she enjoyed it.  LoverBoy had asked me not to do anything for him for his special day.  So, loving the sense of tingling and excitement that comes from being told what to, or not, to do, I did it anyway.  I made reservations at Paley's Place.  Perhaps it was the $800 bottle of wine on the menu that piqued my interest....and not my pocketbook.  Here is my review posted on Yelp this morning: 


"Oh, what a night!  (You remember the song, don't you??).  You'll see that I seldom give the illustrious 5-stars...but this one gets it.  We ventured here based on a recommendation from a friend, just the night before.  It was a birthday for us......so I emailed a reservation request.  (I'm not sure if they are on Open Table or not but that would be convenient...).  They returned my call and we arrived at 6pm.  We left just after 8.  No rush, zero intent to get us out of there.  This is NOT Applebee's cousin, I must add.  We felt spoiled, treated well.  The waiter (Colin) took whatever time we needed -- to explain anything on the menu, to chat about his history, our history, the restaurant, food, life, weather.  It was 100% full shortly after we arrived.  It is an old Victorian home.....two smaller dining rooms and a cute little bar sits in between.  The porch along the front of the home will draw you in nicely....especially in BOTH of those good months of nice weather we have here in Portland.  Paley's Place definitely demanded more from our bank account than we hardly ever dish out....as exemplified by the $800 bottle of wine on the menu.  But I was not opposed to it for this special occasion -- and because the service, atmosphere, and food were absolutely spot-on.  The muted, rich colors, lighting, artwork and fabrics lended to a warm atmosphere.  Being a veggie guy, that can be a challenge -- but Colin went right down the menu explaining what could be done veggie and how things could easily be adapted.  I enjoyed the white bean vegetable cassoulet with butter leaf salad with crispy onions and homemade ranch dressing.  May I just mention that the second half of the cassoulet is on today's lunch menu for me -- perhaps I should spin the hands on the clock forward now.  My partner enjoyed one of the 3-5 items on the menu that change daily -- stuffed and rolled pork tenderloin with a horseradish and Dijon flair.  And the Sweet Potato soup -- like velvet, warm, rich, savory.   A French Rose' and fresh lime gin gimlet began the meal.  Pear Brandy and cognac ended it.  Along with Meyer lemon pudding cake with Madjool Dates and a warm, dark chocolate tasty treat with homemade ice cream.  Holy smokes my eyes are puffy this morning.  And my muffin top has been embellished.
P.S.--Chef Vitaly Paley is featured on Iron Chef America this Sunday April 17, 2011......Will he earn the title?!"

 You'll be able to watch Chef Vitaly Paley this coming Sunday night April 17, 2011, on the Food Network in Iron Chef America......we've got it on our calendars!

Sweet & Spicy Beans With Tomato Rice

So, this one's a keeper....definitely. Exactly my kind of thing and what I like to stuff into my mouth. You'll want to try it. Make it your own. Be creative, use what you have on hand, dream a little. Like I always say, cooking is an art, not a science! Forget the precise measurements and all of that. Doesn't matter, you can't hurt it.

Pan 1....Tomato Rice: You'll cook as many servings of rice as you need for your group in one pot. I used Minute Brown Rice. I added a little Smart Balance Light to it and 1/2 small can of tomato paste.

Pan 2....: Saute chopped onion, baby carrot pieces, and red pepper pieces in olive oil until slightly tender. Add one can black beans (rinsed), one can garbanzo beans (rinsed), one can diced tomatoes, and about 1/2 cup of whole almonds. Toss in the other 1/2 small can of tomato paste from pan 1 above. I seasoned it up with a wide variety of spices: Chili powder, cayenne powder, garlic powder, fresh cracked black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, brown sugar. I didn't use them, but you could easily have added partially cooked chunks of sweet potato or yam into this....it would be a perfect fit. Other variations may include lentils, other types of beans, or vegetables. Or even dried apricots or other fruit.

Easy! It all comes together very quickly...this is definitely a less than 30 minute meal. Place a small bit of tomato rice in a bowl and top with a bit of the spicy bean and tomato mixture. Super yummy. Nice and spicy, warm, and sweet.

Crusted Pork Tenderloin Atop Parmesan Polenta Pillows

Oh yeah baby, we're cooking here. In honor of tonight's American Idol throw down, I crafted my own Crusted Pork Tenderloin Atop Parmesan Polenta Pillows with delicious veggies on the side. We do like to celebrate! And here's how it went down:

Bought a ready-to-roll Hormel pork tenderloin. Sliced it on the cutting board in 1/2 inch thick slices. Tossed the slices into a one-gallon-sized clear plastic bag with crushed corn chips, lots of fresh cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of salt. Press the corn chip mixture into the slices. Put the slices into a hot skillet with oil. Cook both sides until browned deeply. Transfer the slices to a 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and the bottom of the dish lined completely with plenty of sliced onion and drizzled with olive oil (the meat goes on top of the onions). Scatter the remaining corn chip mixture over the meat and cover the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or so and then lower the temperature to 300 degrees for another 30 minutes or so until the meat is nice and tender and the onions just beginning to brown.

While the meat is cooking, cook one cup of polenta with four cups water in saucepan....follow directions on package. My polenta recipe said 25 minutes -- however, my polenta was done in ten minutes....so be careful. Whisk in a tablespoon or two of orange juice and another of milk and a bit of butter/margarine at the end of the cooking.

When the meat has cooked on 350 for 40 minutes, pick your choice of veggies (we used whole fresh green beans and large chunks of sweet red pepper) and put in a second baking dish with a small amount of water to steam the veggies. Put the dish in the oven with the meat dish for the remaining 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

When the meat and veggies are done in the oven, place approximately 3/4 cup polenta right in the middle of your plate and top with shaved Parmesan cheese. Place two slices of meat/onions right square on the top of the polenta and cheese. Our green beans were placed on one side of the plate while the red peppers went on the opposite side.

It can't be beat -- even for this nearly veggie guy. For a picture and review by the world's foremost authority on this creation, visit Blair's Corner.

Visit With Sister In Full Swing

Well well well....we had a party so that sister could meet some of our more "appropriate" friends. (We tried to keep the raunchiest friends out of view which is clearly why most of you weren't invited.) We enjoyed a yummy pasta dish that I threw together -- bow tie pasta, kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, red chili flakes, chopped garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Combined with the grilled pineapple and veggies and the to-die-for desserts, it was quite the evening. We broke her Ikea virginity today as well -- complete with those disgusting Swedish meatballs that you'd never catch me eating. I hit the gym this afternoon while she stayed home with hubby. Tonight, we're doing the Blue Moose vegetarian restaurant across the street from our place and then heading to the St. John's Pub in North Portland to see Milk. Tomorrow will include Mexican at a favorite little haunt with my mother in law.

To Make Coffee

From the 1853 New England Economical Housekeeper and Family Receipt Book:

273. To Make Coffee

* For a two-quart coffee-pot, put in a tea-cup of ground coffee, a small piece of fish-skin; fill the coffee-pot nearly full of boiling water, boil it from three quarters to one hour, then fill it up, and let it settle ten minutes.

* Peas, roasted and ground, are an excellent substitute for coffee, and you would hardly know which was best.


My mother in law has given me a copy from 1853 of this amazing little book. I keep on thinking that this book was written BEFORE Abraham Lincoln was President and before we had a Civil War. And now it's in my hot little hands! You'll be seeing many more entries from this book....they are definitely worth enjoying. Now, be off with you and make a pot of coffee, would you?

Fannie Farmer Puts the Gay in Gaiety

My mother-in-law has given me a copy of her mother-in-law's "New Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cook Book." It's the 1951 edition although the earlier editions date back to 1896. Not long, but a bit, before my birth. I am reminded again of how much of what we enjoy today has come about in recent years. Things like garlic, olive oil, basil, polenta, roasted tomatoes and peppers and the like have been around for many, many years. But only in recent times have they been used in the kitchen with such vigor like they are today. They appear on every menu in the world in all sorts of shapes and sizes and colors and combinations. And that makes me very happy. Much happier, say, than some of the recipes below that I've discovered in Fannie Farmer's cookbook. Some of them only SOUND terrible -- while some of them make me want to wretch as I look through how they are made:

Forcemeat

Chicken Custard

Calf's Brains With Black Butter (calf's brains are preferred but lamb or sheep will do)

Molded Salmon, Cucumber Sauce

Frozen Fruit Salad I, II, III (as if one isn't enough)

Frozen Tomato Cream Salad

Jellied Sweetbreads and Cucumber (couldn't even find a recipe on the WWW for this)

Jellied Chicken

Broiled Finnan Haddie

All I know is that I'm very happy to be a nearly all-veggie guy. My stomach turned upside down as I read through some of the recipes. There are all sorts of bits and bobs of information in this book from what each kitchen utensil looks like and is used for, how to crack nuts, and a whole chapter devoted to helping "Housewives who are bored with meal planning are those who have a cooking repertory of limited range and are conservative about trying anything new." But that's not all -- Did you know that "Menu making should put gaiety into housekeeping"??? Neither did I! But it clearly explains a lot of things to me about why I like being in the kitchen and creating new recipes.

Caesar

No, not the Caesar haircut that was quite popular in the early-mid 1990s.....and, yes, I had one....I just had to! They were popular in Europe but not quite so much in the US. I had just come back from two tours in Europe and just had to be like my European cohorts.

But this time around, I'm talking about the Caesar salad. It seems to be every place, on every single restaurant menu, no matter where you go nowadays. And I'm not a fan. First of all, I don't like Caesar salad dressing at all. But I've noticed that even among Caesar salad dressings there is a huge difference depending on where you order it. At Crush, for example, it is a very light dressing -- not heavy with mayonnaise (yuck) or cream. And I actually think it's okay the way that Crush fixes it with fresh lemon and garlic...light and not creamy. But beyond the dressing, what is there in this salad to attract someone to it? Not a vegetable in the world except for the obligatory romaine lettuce. No tomatoes or cucumber or carrot....nothing. Nutritional value = zero. There are those few necessary croutons which are nice. And a bit of Parmesan. But that's it, folks. Lettuce. Dressing. Crouton. Bit of cheese. Who in the world made that popular???

And so popular that you'll go nearly nowhere that doesn't have it. I don't get it. I'm a veggie guy that needs his salads loaded down heavy with every single vegetable I can find, plus apples or grapes, plus nuts and crunch, plus dried cherries, maybe some avocado. And a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette. That's my gig. And I'm sticking to it.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Hey kiddies, I know that many of you live in perpetual cold weather climates much of the winter. But we don't. Rain, oh yeah...we get the rain. But rarely do we have truly winter weather. Starting today, it's not going to be above freezing for the entire next week....which is really odd for us here in Portland. It's 30mph winds, blowing snow, and icy roads. Check out our local KGW Channel 8 website and our local weather forecast. If I were of the gay persuasion, you may even find me breaking out in a happy-go-lucky version of SNOW from the movie White Christmas. Schools are closed for tomorrow along with many businesses. We edged our way down the hill to the gym earlier....thinking we should keep right on with our business of staying healthy.

On the way home, we did the unhealthy and stopped at one of our favorite Chinese joints, The Ambassador. We walked in the door in our gym sweats and everyone was dressed up in dresses and suits and ties -- we'd obviously crashed some party! It was The Ambassador's annual Christmas party for it's employees and customers. I dove into a steaming fresh plate of kung pao veggies. And we both slurped down a hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps (even though we're not over 21 yet...shh). What a great place. And the drinking isn't over yet....as soon as I hit "publish post" on this little diddy, I'm off to incorporate some rum into hot low-fat eggnog (honey doesn't know about that quite yet but I'm sure he won't object).

And we're less than two weeks from our week-long visit to see some of the Northeast's hottest guys. I met them back in October but my honey has not....he's getting nervous! They invited us out for New Year's and we gladly accepted. And don't forget Sean's Undie Monday tomorrow!

Happy holiday week ahead to everyone. Email me! Tell me something hot to keep these cold days warm and toasty! Send me a picture that will turn a cold day into a hot night!

A Repeat of Last Week + Roasted Vegetable and Sweet Potato Au Gratin

By the time you read this, I'll already be well into yet another week of this trip....the same as last week. It's been a while since I've had multi-day trips. I've been doing mostly "turns" where I'm out and back in the same day and spend my nights at home. As much as I love doing turns and spending the nights in my very own comfy bed with my hubby and pooch, part of the income on multi-day trips is nontaxable income -- which makes multi-day trips more lucrative than turns. So, I'm happy ... to have a little extra income ... plus spend a little quiet time in a hotel room with the TV remote in my hands. My nights will be spent in two of the greatest cities on earth -- Tuesday night in San Francisco and Wednesday night in Vancouver, BC.

Last night I concocted an amazing dish for dinner. I hope you'll consider making it for your own household. I guess I'd call it Roasted Vegetable and Sweet Potato Au Gratin. Chop a mixture of whatever vegetables you like -- I used asparagus, purple onion, and red pepper. Chop them into small pieces and toss into a skillet with olive oil, a few tablespoons of water, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook just until softened. Set aside. In the meantime, peel and slice thinly one yam or sweet potato. Grease a baking dish. Start with a layer of sliced sweet potatoes. Smear a thin layer of fat-free sour cream, a little sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice), and a few of the cooked vegetables. Add another layer of sweet potatoes plus sour cream and veggies. Keep doing this (like a lasagna). Finish with sweet potatoes and layer of sharp cheddar. Cover and bake at 400 for 45 minutes. Remove the cover/top and broil just until bubbly and browned. It's amazing. Kind of like a sweet potato lasagna! You'll love it.....with a simple green salad on the same plate.

Anybody Need Their Sausage Teased ??

It's one of our favorite places. German food, and right down the street. It's been here since sometime in the 1950s and it sits on one of Portland's oldest and longest streets, Sandy Boulevard. But on the way home from the gym, hubby and I did a 180 and headed right back to Gustav's/The Rheinlander Bier Stube and their sign. I swear, someone has to be gay that works there. Or maybe they have some sort of a sick vendetta against someone. Either way, we thought it was funny and simply had to share it with all of you!

What's For Dinner Tonight???

Just look at what we're having for dinner tonight. Hehehe. Haven't seen one of these in years. And I've never put one in my oven. But there's a first time for everything. Homemade turnip oven fries will accompany pan-fried chicken tenderloins with tomato and onion relish along with garlic asparagus.

Friends and Family....Oh, And a T-Shirt Too

Last night found us out under a fantastic summer night sky with this blogger from Orlando. He and his partner have spent the last week in our beautiful Pacific Northwest and we enjoyed their last evening here with them at Pastini. Thanks, you guys, for making our night....we loved the good food, conversation, and fun. Here's what I had: ORECCHIETE TOSCANA: Small, ear-shaped pasta with arugula, cannellini beans, broccolini, balsamic onions, breadcrumbs, chili flakes, garlic and parmesan. Delicious!!

And then Sunday arrived: May I just say, for the record, that one just never quite knows exactly what is going to happen in any given day -- agreed?? The day started out amazingly beautiful with clear late summer blue skies, breakfast outdoors with strong coffee and good friends, and a trip to Target. Oh, and a t-shirt that I purchased last year when we were on our Hawaii cruise. Oh yeah, the stares ensued at every stop we made. I think people were on a mad scramble to get on my right-hand side instead of the left side. Chickens.



With four skinny vanilla lattes in hand, we headed out to hubby's parent's home. And the phone call came: "I'm not breathing too well and need help." Hubby's father has Post-Polio Syndrome and is not doing overly well. He's 83, losing weight, not eating, has essentially minimal muscles left, and can't use his legs....he uses a wheelchair. All of that to say that we high-tailed it to the senior apartment building where they lived, called the ambulance, and they transported him to the VA Hospital. They'll be keeping him overnight, think they've discovered pneumonia, and are doing blood work as well. He's stable and safe. Tomorrow he may come home. We'll see.

But I had to do a superman change in the bathroom when someone that I know and love dearly simply couldn't see me dealing with firemen and paramedics (lesbians, may I add) and trotting around the emergency room at the military-strong VA hospital in my rather progressive t-shirt. So, the day ended on this note and with this face and inside-out t-shirt:


Oh, and when I was at the VA I found a delightful little brochure "just in case":

Food of the Gods

Yesterday as we drove down the road, we passed a Newport Bay Restaurant, a chain seafood joint up here in the Pacific Northwest. Simply casually, as my comments usually are, I said, "We should swing in there for a crab cocktail." And the laughing started. You see, it's funny, because I'd never have a crab cocktail. Ever. I'm a hard person to read. I say things in laughing ways that I'm serious about. And I joke about serious issues. I'll see a boob or titty bar and say, "Hey, we should stop and belly up to the bar and see if we can get some titty." So, back to the seafood deal....hubby said, "That'd be the last thing on your list of things to eat." And I wholeheartedly agree. Plus, and this is very very cool -- I'm going to make a trip soon to meet a couple of bloggers that I've never met before way on the other side of the country -- and one of them asked me if he should have anything special in the house for my visit.....so that got me to thinking about what I like and dislike. You'll remember that I already don't feel like an American. But the list continues:

I'm In Love With: Lasagna, cheese enchiladas, tacos, chips and salsa, giant salads filled with major veggies, avocados, peppers, onions, garlic, pizza, all veggies and fruits, nonfat vanilla lattes, beans, lentils, barley, most soups, scones/biscuits, warm bread with butter, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, some Thai dishes, fresh homegrown tomatos, basil, olive oil, potato chips, Snickers/Nutrageous/Reese's candy bars, dark chocolate, homemade fresh peach pie.

I Can't Stand: Steak or red meat, any fish, crab cocktails!, no meat at all really turns my crank, mayonnaise, lamb, relish, ketchup, mustard, things that are overly vinegary, eggs without something else in them like peppers/onions/cheese, trout, dark beer, clam chowder, many Asian foods but I do make a few exceptions, plain old Hershey's milk chocolate candy bar, sauerkraut, and even tofu I have a little trouble with.

So, there you have it. A little innocent comment about a crab cocktail induced this entire post. I just knew that all of you, with your inquiring minds, would want to know. And, oh, those blogger friends that I'm going to visit will be an entire post soon....because they deserve a whole post dedicated to them.

Bloggers Kick It Up a Notch in India

The delicious, spicy tones of India House combined with a nice array of good friends made our evening perfect. Spot on, as the Brits would say. I can't spell it out any more clearly than my buddy at Blogography, so I'll leave the dirty work up to him. Suffice it to say, that we had a blast with Mr. Hotness Blogography, Master Iron Fist 2008, and -- the beauty of the whole group -- Ms. TSM herself. Cheer to you all, my friends!

The Best in Summertime Food

What is it about truly good food that turns me on? I mean, there are times that I get actual goosebumps over seeing or tasting a particular food. To see what someone has artistically put of themselves into a meal -- what they've created and developed -- makes me happy. And there's nothing like vegetables straight out of someone's garden. So, when we found ourselves around the table with my family in Idaho last weekend, I was more then happy to devour a whole plethora of home grown foods including juicy ripe tomatoes sliced with ribbons of basil straight off of the plant and sweet corn with butter and salt. I could have eaten them all night long. And to see my mom's bouquet of sweet peas on the kitchen counter reminded me of growing -- when she would plant a whole wall of the sweet peas with little strings running up and down the wall for the plants to grow on. The flowers are so sweet with fragrance. It reminded me of summers gone by.
And then, on our last day there, it hit me....my mind started whirring, thinking, wondering..... I grabbed some green tomatoes from the vine, tossed in just a little fresh ripened red tomatoes, a bit of summer peach, a finely diced jalapeno, basil, salt and pepper, olive oil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to create a sort of salsa. I piled it inside of a pita bread sandwich but it could just as easily been served alongside a charbroiled chicken breast or piece of fish. Or with warm tortilla chips. It was delicious and disappeared quickly.
And should I mention the homemade peace cobbler -- warm and straight out of the oven -- that we finished off our meal with? See, there are some horribly redeeming qualities about Idaho.

Summertime Walla Walla Onions

It's summertime....and the livin' is easy. One of my all-time summer favorites is Walla Walla onions. I've mentioned them numerous times before in recipes. I like them peeled, left whole, dig out a notch in the top of them, insert a cube of bullion or whole garlic clove, and wrapped in foil. Cook for 45-60 minutes on the grill. They are fantastic sliced thin and perched high atop your favorite sandwich. Or grilled and caramelized on a garden burger with cheese and fresh avocado. Some folks, not me, eat them raw like an apple. They are that sweet! Or a variety of sandwiches such as peanut butter, onion and banana. The town of Walla Walla, Washington, has become famous for these beauties. It's a relatively new wine growing region and near the place where the Whitman Family was massacred in 1847.
The region and it's farm fields are one heck of a beautiful place to spend the weekend, drink a little wine, and grab yourself a bag of yummy onions on the way home.
And if you're lucky, maybe you'll even with the Miss Walla Walla contest.

Tortellini With Walnuts and Spinach

Again, kids, no science to this fantastic meal. It's easy, light, and goes very well with chilled Trader Joe's Villa Sonia Pinot Grigio Piave. A glass during cooking and refill during dinner will leave you in pretty good shape.
Boil one package of your favorite pasta -- I used a fresh tortellini pasta from Trader Joe's with pesto filling. Drain and return to pot while hot. While the pasta is boiling, chop the following: Small amount of minced onion, chopped fresh tomato, fresh parsley, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes. Add a handful of fresh spinach, spoonful of butter or margarine, heaping tablespoon full of fresh chopped garlic, and good dose of olive oil. Stir with rubber spatula to avoid damaging the tortellini. Top with your favorite shaved cheese. Serve alongside a dolled-up garden salad filled with every vegetable you can find. You'll have the world's best meal ever. Easy!
P.S. -- Don't ever tell anyone that I don't share old family secret recipes with you.
P.S.S. -- You may want to finish up your evening with good quality vanilla bean ice cream topped with fresh Oregon blackberries. It's not so bad.

Festivals Abound in the 'Hood

I swear, living this new condominium lifestyle has led to nothing but visitors, good times, coffee and lunch out, meeting new neighbors, and festivals. Yesterday was no exception. Our neighborhood hosted its annual Fremont Fest 2008. Every store was open and giving away free gifts, holding drawings, tons of good food, and people, kids, and dogs everywhere. There was a parade which included maybe 200-300 kiddies dressed up like Sponge Bob or Hello Kitty along with pets which clearly didn't admire their tin-foil wings that had been added to their backs for effect. Oh, and the Clydesdale horses gave free rides up and down the street all day long -- which scared the hell out of Mason. It was a fantastic way to welcome us to the Beaumont Wilshire-Fremont area and confirmed to us that we've made a great decision to live in this neighborhood.

After that, we headed back to our old 'hood since we'd been grandfathered in to our former neighbor's annual Rib Fest whereby eight individuals bring their homemade ribs. They are judged and the winner given a throne upon which to sit for the upcoming year. I made my white bean and charred onion salad along with Oregon blackberry shortcake. And of course since there were ribs and meat involved, the evening wouldn't have been complete without plenty of Hehehe jokes surrounding the rubbing of one's meat -- including the obligatory t-shirts. Oh, and did I mention the handsome good-friend-and-bartender making Key Lime Martinis? I swear, these are some of the nicest friends ever to keep us involved in spite of the fact that we ditched their street for another. Next week, we go back to the same great former street for the second annual block party.

White Bean Vegetable Summer Salad

We're on our way to a friend's home for a BBQ on their back patio. I've been instructed to bring a salad and have concocted this one. As is typical for me, the amounts of each item matter not. You're the artist. Make it your own.

Two cans butter beans, rinsed and drained.
Chopped: Radish, zucchini, cucumber, orange pepper, fresh parsley.
Char half of a chopped Walla Walla or other sweet onion on the grill. Toss onion into the mix. Add rice wine vinegar, a little sugar, seasoned salt, garlic powder, coarse-chopped fresh black pepper, tablespoon of olive oil, and a sprinkling of red chili flakes. Toss, chill, and enjoy. Along with chunk of heavy bakery bread and a chilled glass of Niagara. It's a veggie sort of guy's perfect salad. After all, it is summer....right?

Sizzlin' Summer Salad Trumps Domestic Partnerships

Before we migrate onward and upward to better things, my apologies for the fuzzy picture -- but that's what you get with pictures from Apple's iPhone (is there any mitigating truth to the fact that I'm still dragging my feet on this whole phone???). But, let's move on before I make any more enemies over this Apple deal ..... I've had a hankering for some summertime something or other off of the grill. Here's my concoction from last evening.....give it your own spin and you'll be off and running making new friends left and right, I guarantee it. Grilled chicken tenderloins smeared with your favorite BBQ sauce, olive oil, and garlic. At the same time, grill up some colored peppers and Walla Walla onions in a grill basket with olive oil and a little salt -- make sure they have those to-die-for grill marks. Chill all of it when you're done. Pile a large plate high with spinach or your favorite salad greens. Top with your chilled BBQ chicken, peppers and onions, cherry tomatoes, carrots, chopped apple, grapes, almonds, crispy bacon, blue cheese crumbles, and finish with fresh sliced avocado. You'll want to create your own dressing -- I'd suggest a salsa vinaigrette or (what I used) fat-free Ranch dressing with a tablespoon of salsa stirred in. (I know, you all thought I was strictly a veggie sort of guy......but not last night!). Seriously, this sucker rocked our palate but good. Man, it was awesome. And really easy. Now, on to bigger and better things -- Is it, like, that wrong to have BBQ Kettle Chips and Diet Vanilla Pepsi for lunch? I hope not.

Now, to ruin the above tantalizing taste treats with political news, here's what's happening right now -- as I write -- with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals hearing Lemons versus Bradbury. Here's live blogging from Just Out of the outcome (scroll down in the blog until you find the Lemons v Bradbury stuff). Keep your fingers crossed, kids, that the court finds in our favor with this out-of-state hate group and their antics with Oregon's domestic partnership law.