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Outdoors
Mushroom Madness:
Fungi aficionados will strike it rich in the mountains east of Cottage Grove.
Performance
Family Fare: Some acts fall while others fly.
Wine
Fearless Picks: Serve with confidence this Christmas.
Gourmet Gifts
Festive Food: Divine edibles make great gifts.
Mushroom Madness
Fungi aficionados will
strike it rich in
the mountains east of Cottage Grove.
By James
Johnston
A lot of Eugeneans have a hard time figuring out what to do with
themselves during dreary November days. But not mushroom hunters. For these folks,
the first cold rains are their cue to head for the hills.
Last week, I enlisted the services of two experienced mushroomers:
the Grower's Market's Matt Watkins and the American Lands Alliance's George Sexton,
for a tour of the prime mushroom hunting grounds along the Brice Creek trail east
of Cottage Grove. The dank old growth forest along Brice Creek is the perfect spot
to enjoy a crisp autumn hike and acquaint oneself with the myriad mushroom species
of the Oregon Cascades.
Directions: From Eugene, drive I-5 South for approximately 20 miles.
Take Exit 174 (Cottage Grove/Dorena Lake). At the light, take a left onto Row River
Road. After four or five miles, this road turns into Shore View Drive and then back
into Row River Road. Just stay on the main road all the way to the trailhead. You'll
go past Sharp's Creek and Layng Creek and through the small villages of Culp Creek
and Disston, following the signs for Brice Creek for about 22 miles from the freeway.
The western trailhead begins about a mile inside the Umpqua National Forest boundary,
after the road narrows to one lane. The river bottoms on your right between the western
trailhead and Cedar Creek are lousy with fungi.
The best guide to mushrooms is David Arora's Mushrooms Demystified.
On this day we're making use of Arora's excellent pocket guide to western mushrooms,
All That the Rain Promises and More-- . We use the guide to key out dozens
of 'shrooms, including velvet foot, boletes, aminatas, short-stemmed
russalas, angel wings, scaly stalked psilocybes, violet corts and bleeding
milk caps. My favorite mushroom name: "Questionable Stropharia" (Stropharia
ambigua), a pleasant yellow mushroom with shaggy cotton-white stalk and gills.
Some of Arora's notes are pretty funny. When we key out Alaska
golds, he writes, "Prized by some people for its fine flavor, but poisonous
to others -- It should never be served to large groups--"
Later in the day we cruise up the 2232 road to the old growth forest
in unit 8 of the Blodgett timber sale (the 740 spur road on the right). Here we find
chanterelles, fried chicken mushrooms (they don't taste anything like chicken) and
hedgehogs, all delicious edible mushrooms. Brice Creek, like most watersheds managed
by the Forest Service, has two faces. The face the agency likes to show to the public
is the beauty strip along the creek. But take any of the logging roads that branch
off from the main road and you'll find thousands of acres of clearcuts, with more
on the way. Blodgett is just one of many taxpayer subsidized timber sales slated
for logging in the Cottage Grove Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest (for
more information, see http://www.cascwild.org/cg/main.html).
The Brice Creek trail is open all year and has lots to offer. The
easy five-and-a-half-mile-long path, much of it wheelchair accessible, follows the
exceptionally clear waters of Brice Creek past a number of beautiful waterfalls and
deep pools. At the eastern end of the trail you can connect with the three-and-a-half-mile-long
Trestle Creek Falls loop trail. This trail climbs about a thousand feet and takes
you underneath upper Trestle Falls, one of the most gorgeous cascades in the
state. You'll also find a lush carpet of maidenhair ferns and spectacular basalt
formations.
And, of course, lots more mushrooms.
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Family
Fare
Some
acts fall while others fly.
By Aria
Seligmann
For the past several years, the Lord
Leebrick Theatre Company has presented the Holiday Vaudeville Show,
meant to delight fans of all ages and bring in some sure cash to wrap
up the year and line the coffers before the traditional "risky" January
venture. This year, the holiday show, under the direction of Jonathan
Siegle, takes on the form of a 1930s radio show, with acts coming
into the station and performing over the air. It's kind of cute when
juggler Roger Fountain pretends to be doing amazing feats with balls
and knives, as radio announcer Mitch Hider. Of course, the audience
sees that nothing is really happening.
And that's the problem with this show.
It's not that it hasn't been charming in years past,
or that this production doesn't have its moments: Whistling Mitch
Hider turns in some dandy tunes while accompanying himself on ukelele.
Mime Vaughn Avery and juggler Roger Fountain, however, were unimpressive,
but Fountain's problem may have been due to the fact that as he lifted
a saber into the air, yes, to toss and catch it for real, someone's
cell phone went off.
Naturally, it interrupted his concentration. He collected
himself and when he again lifted the knife into the air, the cell
phone owner, who was sitting in the front row, got up and walked out
-- right across the stage, with phone to ear. A poignant moment,
imagining knife point meeting with phone. (I'd like to see a sign
reading "No Cell Phones" posted at every theater entrance, just for
those who don't know better.)
The Jeweltones turn in some decent Andrew Sisters-like
numbers. But when Siegle announced the Jeweltones were the headliners,
it made me think if that's the best act showing up for auditions,
it's time to put this annual production to rest.
Lord Leebrick has created a new mission statement
that says it wants to broaden its audiences' horizons and expand into
edgier endeavors. There must be all sorts of other Christmasy shows
out there it can do. Or, if it wants to hold onto the vaudeville theme,
why not reach out to some of the Country Fair stalwarts, who present
genuinely entertaining vaudeville shows every year? I bet audiences
would show up for that, and they'd get their money's worth.
The good news is Eugene has boasted some great family
entertainment of late. In November, Dance Theatre of Oregon presented
a charming rendition of The Shoebird. The evening opened with
a short dance that engaged the children in the audience, followed
by a colorful re-enactment of the beloved Eudora Welty story. Despite
some obvious sound problems on opening night, the show was a hit,
though what should have been a show-stopping number by Peg Major,
decked out in brilliant finery, couldn't be heard because of technical
difficulties. (Fortunately, Major is more than making up for that
now over at Actors Cabaret with her performance as Rose in Gypsy.)
Pamela Lehan-Siegel was wonderful as both dancer and
actor, and the choreography served the story. The star of the evening
was designer Sher Alltucker, whose fabulous bird costumes sparkled,
tufted and plumed, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Coming up next weekend, Dec. 14 through 16, Willamette
Repertory Theatre opens its third season at the Hult Center with A.R.
Gurney's Love Letters. The work follows the lives of two people
and the relationship they managed to maintain through more than 60
years of letter writing.
The show is directed by Hans Christofferson, one of
Eugene's finest, who also directed The Miracle Worker for the
Rep's first season and The Best Man last year at Lord Leebrick.
Priscilla Hake Lauris plays Melissa Gardner. Lauris has lived and
acted in Eugene in years past, has performed with the Oregon Shakespeare
Festival and is now living in Seattle and working with the Seattle
Repertory Theatre. James Edmondson plays Andrew Makepeace Ladd III.
Edmondson has been with OSF since 1973 and has directed and acted
in more than 40 Ashland productions.
"We are very lucky to get such talented, dynamic actors
for this delightful piece of theater," says Artistic Director Kirk
Boyd. "Priscilla and Jim are perfect for Love Letters and are
very excited to be working with one another again. I was able to get
them by convincing each that I was sure the other had said yes!"
Tix are $25 and available at the Hult.
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Festive
Foods
Divine
edibles make great gifts.
by Lance Sparks
At the fifteenth floor of Eugene's oldest
highrise, the ancient Otis wheezed and groaned to a halt. Grinding,
the door opened. I stepped out, shuffled down the hallway, side-stepping
broken linoleum, to the pebbled glass door bearing the single word,
Investigations. I pushed my key at the lock. The door swung inward
slowly, revealing, first, a pair of size-14 brogans crossed on my
desk, then shiny gray gabardine slacks, finally a hulking form in
a dark overcoat. His face was hidden under a black fedora, but I knew
who it was. "Hiya, Rock," I said, trying to keep the quaver out of
my voice. His huge paws were toying with my Morrocan dagger letter
opener. He used one paw to push back his snap-brim and show me his
face.
"Hiya, Sleut'. Long time." Rock goes about six-four,
weighs maybe 250, no fat, head like a cinder block. He dropped the
brogans to the floor, leaned forward, rolled his shoulders like a
couple boulders under a blanket. He looked up, shot out a granite-like
jaw, gave me a wide grin, big white teeth like tombstones. "I come
t' ast ya a favor." I think that's when I breathed again. Sure, I
told him, thinking it'd be great to have Rock on my side for once.
But I couldn't imagine how my business could cross with his. "Ya know,"
he hesitated, "I ain't much fer mushy stuff ... " I coughed, choked
back a chuckle. "... even Crizmus. I got no time fer sugar plum fairies
or babies in hay bales, but ... "
He was interrupted by the door hitting me in the butt.
"Ho, ho, ho, holly jollies!" Mole popped in, full elf regalia, green,
pointy hat and stockings, even bells, slid to a halt when he spotted
Rock, gulped loudly couple times, snatched the elf cap off, nodded
vigorously, "R-R-Rock (gulp), hiya. Heunh-heunh-he ...," his rheumy
laugh, snipped short when Rock fixed him with .45 caliber eyes.
The big guy waited, still as a monolith, then continued,
rushing the words, "Imetareally swelldame." Maybe I started to chortle.
I stopped when Rock stuck the dagger into the desk, left it quivering.
Next to me, Mole moaned.
"Y-you met a nice lady! Rock, that's great, hope
you're both happy, 'n merry Crizmuz, and, and ...." I spun my fedora
a couple turns in my hands, might've bent the brim a bit.
"And she invited me ta Crizmuz dinner 'n I gotta
bring da wine, 'n ya gotta help me, see?" He looked almost winsome,
like one of those critters on cathedral roofs.
"Yeah, right, buddy, no problems! You talk t' Mole,
'n I'll run to the store, back ina mo--"
"Nah, jes gimme a list 'n I'll pick up the goods.
Gotta coupla guys what owes me, see?"
"Rightrightright, we're on it, pal. Lessee, Mole,
wadda we got fer the big guy, bottl'a somethin' tasty, Beaujolais
nouveau mebbe?"
"Nah," Rock broke in, "da noovo is too thin 'n acidic."
My jaw dropped. "'Sides, dis gotta be da whole magilla, appetizers
t' dessoit, big doin's, see?" I saw my limbs in traction at Sacred
Wallet. Mole tugged my sleeve, nattered:
"Rock, we gotcha covered, I mean, we can handle ya,
I mean mnphnf." I clamped my hand over his blather, wheeled him toward
the lab door, launched into my spiel:
"Champ, we been workin' jes this kinda thing, wine
fer a feast, front t' back." I watched Mole scratch at the lock on
the lab door, finally get the key inserted, snap back the heavy bolt,
then disappear like smoke into darkened space. I worried he might
hide in the air vents, but he quickly re-appeared, clinking bottles
braced in both hands, toted them to the desk, turning the labels toward
Rock. I babbled:
"Awright, we open with Oregon bubbles, kinda homey
thing, St. Innocent 1997 Brut, only $14.50 but fluffy with
flavors of apples, yeast, touch of toast, lovely. Or can't-miss Roederer
Estate Brut ($21), California's most consistently tasty. Or shoot
the moon, Veuve Cliquot 1995 Grande Dame ($150), toppa the
world elegance.
"We follow, for the salad course, with two pretty
whites, LaVelle 2000 Riesling ($9) or Secret House 1999
Riesling ($9), both with ripe pears and green apple flavors, hint
of sweetness, bright, refreshing. Also works if people gotta have
wine with soup.
"Now, dry whites; for fish, turkey, game hens, can't
beat King Estate 1999 Reserve Pinot Gris ($19), all over the
mouth with melons and apples, perfect balance.
"Light red hasta be Rogue Valley's Foris 1998 Pinot
Noir ($12), burst of fresh cherries and raspberries, or La
Bete 1999 Gamay Noir ($8.50!), ripe and juicy with black cherries,
luscious Oregon wine. Or tote a magnum of Broadley 1998 Pinot Noir
Claudia's Choice, beautiful, dramatic, bargain at $90.
"Big reds for the meats: Eugene Wine Cellars 1999
Syrah ($18), loaded with dark fruits, pepper, big in the mouth.
"Dessert, little half-bottles of Eola Hills 1998
Vin d'Epice ($17), late harvest gewurztraminer, honeyed and nippy.
Dazzle 'em with beautiful Port, Burmester Colheita 1985 Reserva
($69), deep and rich, lingering finish, super wine, only at Sheldon's
in Gateway."
Rock stood slowly, lumbered around the desk, dropped
a hand like a bag of cement on my shoulder. "T'anks, Sleut'. Dat'll
make a merry Crizmuz."
When the door rattled shut behind him, Mole and I
both felt a lot merrier. Hope you do, too.
Back to Top
Festive
Foods
Divine
edibles make great gifts.
by Lance Sparks
OK, I get giddy at Christmas. I try to stay
politically conscious, eat healthy and in moderartion, yaddayadda,
but in the end I always give in to raging nostalgia and the compulsion
to give gifts, wrap presents in gaudy papers and bows, and eat every
tantalizing tidbit in sight.
 This
year, I'm looking to combine compulsions, so I'm shopping for special
foods of every variety, packing some as gifts to friends, picking
others to put on our table for feasts and fetes. Call these tasties
"gourmet" if you like, but I'm just after new flavors and textures
that'll tingle the palate and delight the senses.
What's cool is that so much really good grub has come
to market in recent times, particularly some rare and surprising foodstuffs
and loads of specialty items made here at home, many of them from
local farms, fields, vines and orchards.
Many of these dainties are produced in small batches
by our neighbors; and more often than not, the basic ingredients are
organically grown, prepared and packaged with some consciousness about
environmental matters and without reliance on artificial preservatives
or flavor enhancers.
Sleighride down to such natural food stores as Sundance,
Oasis, Kiva, New Frontier, Red Barn. These folks often make special
efforts to find and stock locally-made products. It takes almost no
effort on the shopper's part to find scads of hand- and home-made
jams, jellies, honeys, syrups, candies, exotic oils and vinegars,
cheeses, breads and mixes for baked goods, soups, stews and chilis.
Examples abound. Love good jam? Wrap your lips around
marionberry made by The Best From Oregon (whoever cooks it signs the
label). Aloha From Oregon makes a jalapeño or mango pepper jelly
that'll make you smile through your tears. Sandra's Gourmet Foods,
Eugene, offers magic in a jar: their black currant jelly is terrific,
but the wild coastal huckleberry is sublime (available at Farmer's
Market/Holiday Market until Christmas), and don't miss the quince,
rose petal or wild black plum jellies and jams. Gabrio's (Crewell)
puts out a dazzling array, but their wild blackberry, golden raspberry,
strawberry-rhubarb and cherry are way gone delicious. Calls for a
P&J sammy, with Maranatha (Ashland) Almond Butter or Kettle (Salem)
Organic Peanut Butter.
Look deeply into Pristine Fruit's lingonberry syrup
for your Swedish pancakes. Whip up a batch of hazelnut scones from
the Brickerville Farm (Mapleton) mix and slather on some Raynblest
Farm Light Wildflower honey or Classic Gourmet (Eugene) Cranberry
Marmalade. Toss a salad, splash with Abernathy Violet Champagne Wine
Vinegar or a dash of Susanna's wildly beautiful kitchen-art infusions,
maybe the garlic oil, crumble over the top some Juniper Grove (Redmond)
goat cheese. Mebbe brew up a little soup, Mrs. Britt's Oregon Kitchen's
(Grants Pass) Market Vegetarian or Southern Roots Savory Cookin' (Eugene)
Creole Black Bean. Finish with a slice of Trappist Abbey Fruitcake.
Top off with Euphoria (Eugene) chocolate truffle.
The fruits of our sea are also special; people in
other places regard Oregon's crab and salmon and shellfish as among
the world's best, whether fresh, canned, dried or smoked. You can
find smoked fish -- cod, albacore, marlin, halibut, silver or
chinook salmon -- all at $10.99-$14.99/lb at Fisherman's Market.
Crab season just opened and fresh, whole Dungeness,
among the world's best, is only $5.99, crustacean bliss.
'Course fresh is best, and that also takes
you to Newman's Market where you can encounter the area's widest selection
of special cheeses -- Stilton, Valencay d'Endree, Ticklemoor,
Tomme de Savoie, many more -- plus smoked salmon, oysters, mussels,
tuna. And -- Oh, happy Dane! -- they have that seasonal
favorite, lutefisk. Also find fleur du sel here, the "flower" of salt,
only $8.99 for 125g.
Of course, we can shop from home, never leaving the
telephone or computer screen, never having to touch or talk to actual
people. I keyed up Google to search for "gourmet foods," got a mere
180,000 hits. Strikingly, third on the list was the Oregon Gourmet
Foods Trade Association site, listing dozens of producers (with addresses,
phone numbers, even e-mail) and a shopping menu from appetizers to
nuts and desserts, including some Oregon exotics such as kiwi fruit
products from Dundee Hills Farm to Oregon-Grown Emu (Rickreall).
Naturally, this being America, silly excess is not
uncommon. I surfed Web pages for various other dotcom purveyors and
found them flogging such tasty tidbits as Beluga caviar at a mere
$57.60/ounce. Now that's Republican! Dean and Deluca offer fresh white
truffles at $275 for 1.25 ounces, discounts for pound-size orders
-- gotta be some yummy fungus. The Comtesse du Barry site sells
traditional French foie gras -- duck at two tins of 210g. (total
about 15 oz.) for $32.73 or goose at $42.80. Dodge Inn will send four
six-ounce filet mignons for a mere $39.95 (down from $49.99 --
call it ten bux per steak or about $26/lb.
This only scratches the surface of the special and
seasonal foods we can bring to our friends or to our own tables to
make feasting for the season and the new millennium something beyond
the mundane. I hope you'll enjoy a grand and festive holiday, adding
only this: We can increase our joy when we share our bounty and the
blessings of our lives. Give generously. Make peace, make love.
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