July 16, 2014

Black Currant + Mint Crostini

July 16, 2014/ Mary McDonald

I try not to obsess over certain restaurants, the way I did (do!) with Five Points, but some places are just like that, they make such wonderful dishes that simply inspire you to make it yourself. We had our anniversary dinner at Ava Gene’s not too long ago.

June 12, 2014

Beet Stacks

June 12, 2014/ Mary McDonald

I love what people are doing with beets these days. From chips to cocktails, they’re all over the place. I spotted some really nice beets from a tiny local farmer’s market in the neighborhood.

April 30, 2014

Watermelon with Feta + Basil

April 30, 2014/ Mary McDonald

Is it summertime already? Watermelon, sunshine and shorts? Seems to be here in Portland, at least for the next few days. It feels so good! Such a nice treat for April which has been pretty rainy for the most part.

March 01, 2014

Celery Salad with Dried Cherries + Almonds

March 01, 2014/ Mary McDonald

I’m not sure that I heard of a celery salad prior to dinner at Ava Gene’s. I didn’t have the salad when we had dinner there but it didn’t leave my mind. I did a search for celery salad recently and came across a recipe on Bon Appetit, and as it happens this recipe was part of a series of salads from Ava Gene’s!

February 14, 2014

I Heart Salad

February 14, 2014/ Mary McDonald

I know Valentine’s Day can be full of cliches, red, chocolate, all things heart-shaped, but I couldn’t resist making this salad. This year we’re going to have dinner at home, with this salad, and some homemade strawberry chocolate chunk ice cream, champagne and…

February 10, 2014

Stuffed Mushrooms

February 10, 2014/ Mary McDonald

Every once in a while I get a mushroom craving, and this is one of those times. I haven’t really posted anything mushroom specific since my very first blog post about a year ago, a Mushroom Soup.

January 23, 2014

Sweet Potato Wedges with Lemongrass Dip

January 23, 2014/ Mary McDonald

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables. They’re so versatile and tasty, it’s nearly impossible to mess them up. And they’re full of nutrition as well. What’s not to love here?

January 17, 2014

Pear Fennel Salad with Colatura + Pine Nuts

January 17, 2014/ Mary McDonald

Colatura? Maybe you’re familiar with this but I had never heard of it until a recent dinner at Ava Gene’s here in Portland. It was in a salad named “Pear. Fennel. Pine Nuts. Colatura. Scallions”, the salad was delicious with surprises of fresh mint and hot pepper.

November 19, 2013

Winter Greens Soup

November 19, 2013/ Mary McDonald

It’s interesting how much we think about food with our eyes - the color, shape and texture all contribute to our expectations. And it can throw us off if we’re seeing one thing while simultaneously thinking of another thing. This soup is a perfect example.

October 31, 2013

Tomato Orange Soup

October 31, 2013/ Mary McDonald

Tomato and Orange Soup? Yep. Sounds weird but it’s really really tasty. I had a similar soup from Zupan, a local market here in Portland, and I’ve been itching to try and make it ever since. It was the first time I’ve ever heard of this combination of flavors.