Foodlore Library

Challenging me is quite dangerous. I won’t back down. Unfortunately (or fortunately, you decide) one night while watching the Food Network, I heard a show host remark that the average American home chef has a list of 100 ingredients they use, and they rarely stray from that list.

The gauntlet was down!

Only 100 ingredients?

Surely I can do better than that!

Garlic’s age-old cautionary tale has withstood the test of time. People continue to be wary of the time of day and the company within which they eat this tiny yet incredibly potent vegetable. Ordering a dish with too-large of a serving of garlic is the number one “no-no” on a date, and if you do decide to dine with this ingredient present, you better be sure you have some after-dinner mints in your clutch.

Yes, it’s true; garlic packs quite the punch in its petite little package. But what’s the harm in that? Truly, I don’t see what all of the fuss is all about.

Portland's Old Town, next to the Burnside Bridge, is an area where many years have struck an impact on the view. Looking around, you can take in Portland’s tallest building, failing bridges and a modern mass transit system. On a cloudy day, so much contrast is present that a shiny Max Train gets lost amongst rusted pipes running down weathered columns of bricks.

I went downtown, in this city where I live, in search of some food. I was looking for a typical meal, in a typically boring city. What I found, though, was a meal that came with more than mustard and ketchup.

“Will work for food” — you've seen the signs on street corners. Signs held by people willing to surrender their services in exchange for nourishment without considering that perhaps they might ask for money, health insurance, or a 401K instead.

There came a bright, shiny moment in my life, one that most young people encounter, when I knew what I wanted to do for a for a living: I wanted to bake! So like many other young folks, I gathered the information needed to pursue such a career with the intent of receiving a salary, health benefits, and maybe if I was lucky, a retirement plan.