Blue Palate

A bowl of pho a day may keep the doctor away. (Image by androog)

Pho was one of those dishes I was always a little afraid to try. Mostly because I didn’t know anything about it. I knew it was soup and many versions contained tripe. Not a fan of animal intestines, I steered clear.

Given my fear of pho, I wasn’t sure what compelled me one afternoon to walk into Pho Hung, a popular and oddly located restaurant off SE Powell and 47th. (Pho Hung is a small chain and has a few locations in the Portland area and a couple in Texas, strangely enough). As soon as I opened the menu, my apprehension subsided. Pho Hung makes things very easy for the pho phobic. Options are categorized into Adventurer’s Choice (think lots of tripe and tendons), Everyday Favorites (still somewhat tripe-y) and For Beginners (completely tripeless).

Just to be on the very safe side I ordered the chicken noodle soup. The waiter brought a little dish of bean sprouts, basil, lime wedges, and hot peppers, which I had watched other patrons add to their steaming bowls. The broth was salty, rich, tart from the lime and slightly sweet. It had an exotic herbal flavor and aroma I couldn’t pinpoint. The noodles were soft and plentiful, the fresh garnished added texture and bright flavors, and the chicken was tender breast meat. No intestines in sight.

The pho at Pho Hung is a fantastic deal at $6.50 for a large, definitely enough soup and noodles to feel satisfied if not stuffed. Those not in the mood for soup can choose from other entrees like bun (vermicelli noodle bowls), rice dishes and other specialties. Even the most expensive dish is under $10.

Since my first bowl at Pho Hung, pho has become one of my favorite budget meals. Pho phobic? Pho Hung is a perfect place to break yourself in.

I have mixed feelings about cheap beer. Beer is high in calories for a beverage and if I’m going to spend it I like to taste it. But a pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon or can of Hamm’s can be quite refreshing on a hot day and I can drink a couple and not feel heavy headed. And the best thing about cheap beer? It’s cheap. Here are a few of my favorite spots in Portland to drink cheap beer.

Photo credit: Whatknot

The Standard - At this Northeast hidden gem you can drink Rainier on Monday and Hamm’s on Wednesday for a buck a can. Yes folks, for one dollar you can sip an adult beverage, play shuffleboard, or lounge in their large patio. Save your remaining dollars for the county fair-esque photo booth.

Zach’s Shack - Known for their delicious dogs and late-night hours, Zach’s Shack on Hawthorne has one dynamite refrigeration system. Their cans of PBR are the coldest in town. During their extended happy hour (4 p.m. - 8 p.m. every day), you can chase away the heat for $1.25.

Captain Ankeny’s Well - Probably best known for their authentic deep dish pizza, Captain Ankeny’s has the most variety I’ve seen when it comes to happy hours. $1.25 on select pints some nights, $1.95 select small pitchers on others, sometimes only $0.50 off.  But if you land on the right night of the week between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., you can drink - and eat - for dollars.

Cheap beer is plentiful, even in the land of $5 microbrews. Where’s your favorite place to knock back a cold one for a buck or two?

It’s probably really bad blog etiquette to promise to post something and then fail to do so. A few posts ago I wrote that I would share a recipe for Kapustnica, a holiday soup from Slovakia, in my Christmas Day post. Not only did I not share a the recipe, I didn’t even write a Christmas Day post.

Excuse? I was cooking, of course. I didn’t host Christmas dinner this year, thank goodness, but agreed to bring an appetizer, side and dessert to my sister’s house. My agenda for the 24th and 25th included preparing a Christmas Eve dinner of stuffed chicken breasts, whipped sweet potatoes and sauteed greens for my husband Peter and I, as well as a lemon cheesecake, cornbread stuffing (I made the cornbread), and a vegetable platter for the Christmas Day festivities. It was all lovely, but I didn’t get a chance to write my blog post and I was left with severe kitchen fatigue.

As for the Kapustnica recipe, I will rely on my husband Peter’s Christmas Day post in his blog. He made the soup this year, and can proudly add it to the half-dozen or so recipes he can make from scratch. As for kitchen fatigue, here are a few solutions for anyone who starts feeling dizzy at the sight of a spatula this time of year:

Crock pot meals - Did you know you can roast a whole chicken in a crock pot? There are hundreds of recipes for the Crock Pot (or slow cooker for the brand wary), most of which require throwing a few ingredients in the crock and waiting 6-8 hours. My favorite is sliced onions, bell peppers, two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a jar of marinara. Serve with pasta or rice. Simple, cheap, delicious.

Take-and-bake pizza - My friend Carol reminded me of this one. Papa Murphy’s or any other fresh take-and-bake is far better than frozen in my opinion. And there are coupons everywhere - we found some in the Sunday paper. All you need is $8.99 and a hot oven.

Amy’s canned soup - The best canned soup ever. Not the cheapest, but way more filling than Campbell’s. Open, pour into bowl, heat in microwave. No spatula required. Serve with crackers or bread.

Local fast food joint - I don’t recommend fast food from the average establishment, but there are a few that are Blue Palate worthy especially in times of kitchen fatigue. In Portland, I recommend Zach’s Shack and Burgerville. California has In-n-Out. Almost every town has a locally owned drive-in, burger shack, or taco cart. Fast food has its place. As long as you don’t eat chili cheese fries more than a couple times a month your arteries should be fine.

I hope everyone had a wonderful, food-filled Christmas! I’m sorry I didn’t post, but my family will agree the cheesecake was well worth it.

I was on my Mac dashboard using the dictionary widget to look up the word foodie (def: a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet). A message on my Epicurious widget caught my eye:

“Shopping for a foodie friend? Epicurious has found 16 gorgeous gourmet goodies for everyone on your list  ——– and they’re all under $100.”

I’m not usually a fan of food gift baskets, unless they’re filled with wine. But I couldn’t resist seeing what Epicurious had to offer. (If you are unfamiliar with Epicurious, it is one of the best recipe sites ever.) The site featured a slide show of 16 gift basket of varying contents. Some were undeniably gorgeous and delicious looking, especially the Spices and Herbs tins from TSP Spices, the only one that was somewhat reasonably priced at $42. (Mom, Dad…hint.)

The Microbrew Beer Bucket was my favorite, but I almost blew a keg when I saw the price. $70 for six bottles of beer and some snacks? I challenged myself to make a Beer Bucket for less than half that price.

I love sampling microbrews and am a sucker for markets that let you buy a six pack sampler (Woodstock Wine and Deli and Otto’s Sausage Kitchen in my neighborhood.) This is not the cheapest way to buy beer, but a great way to get to know some great beers without investing in a whole six pack of one variety. Last time I was at Woodstock Wine and Deli, they charged around $1.60 to $2.00 a bottle, with 10% off if you buy six. They had some great snacks there, but you could spend way less on gifty snacks at your local grocery bulk section or Trader Joe’s.

In my DIY Beer Bucket, I substituted salami and crackers for jerky. (To me, jerky is road trip food not beer food.) You could use any kind of snack that goes well with beer. The nice thing about DIY gift baskets is the opportunity to personalize according to the giftee’s taste. Here’s what I came up with:

• One small aluminum bucket from local hardware store - $8.00
• Six 12 oz bottles of microbrew beer, averaging around $1.80 each with 10% off - $9.72
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels, I like Trader Joe’s brand - $2.99
• 1/4 pound salted nuts. Peppered cashews or Tamari almonds from the bulk section - $2.50
• Dry salami. Trader Joe’s salami is GREAT, and amazing with beer. - $4.29
• Crackers. Milton’s Brand come in a long box that would fit nicely in a bucket. - $3.99

Total - $31.49, less than half of the $70 Gourmet Gift Baskets charges for their Beer Bucket. You could knock even more off the cost by using home made snacks and goodies. Plus, you can make your bucket more personal, use beer from local brewers and support your local vendors. Epicurious might want to stick to publishing great recipes.

It was a rare sunny, December afternoon in Portland, Oregon, and my husband and I walked to Zach’s Shack for Chicago Dogs and beer. As we walked I talked about why I love hot dogs. Those close to me know I love healthy cooking and eating. I eat whole wheat pasta, I love just about every vegetable, and I don’t often cook red meat. But there are few things that satisfy me more than a beef frank slathered in mustard, relish, onions and a big pickle spear nestled in a cloud-white bun, just the way Zach’s Shack makes them. How could a self-described foodie and health nut crave something so textbook junk food?

Thus Blue Palate was born. Blue Palate is a blog for low-key foodies, like me. It’s not that healthy can’t also be delicious and affordable and low-key. I believe great food is about more than simply the quality or origin of ingredients and the price one pays for a meal. A great food experience is about much more than lighting and place settings and the perfect wine pairing. Great food can be accessible and affordable to anyone.

Blue Palate is for anyone who believes a great food experience doesn’t have to take place in an expensive restaurant. It’s the blog for folks who secretly enjoy the occasional mac and cheese from a box, or think the some of the best food is served from a 5th wheel trailer in a parking lot. We’ll explore the best of Portland (and beyond, when possible) cheap eats, food events, the best inexpensive recipes and the deliciousness found in everyday, simple meals.

I invite you to share your own experiences and recommendations. Blue Palate: the blog for the low-key foodie.