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Outdoors:
Pioneer
Palate The Lewis & Clark Cookbook — Historic Recipes from the Corps of Discovery and Jefferson's America, by Leslie Mansfield. Celestial Arts, 2002. $17.95. In the intro to this book, Mansfield writes that Lewis and Clark's crew, on their journey of discovery, killed and ate a total of 66 bears (black and grizzly for the most part). In this cookbook, Mansfield provides one recipe for Bear in Red Wine, Mushrooms, and Juniper Sauce. Buffalo and venison also figure strongly in the recipes.
However, don't think of this as a cookbook to take on your own journey of discovery, cooking your own kill over roaring flames. The recipes are labor intensive, and while some can be cooked over a campfire, most are best kept in a well-stocked modern kitchen. This book is more of a history lesson. It's a glimpse into the kitchens, and so into the souls, of another time. It begins with a brief history of the expedition, which began two hundred years ago this past June, especially focusing on Thomas Jefferson's role. His love of gardening, entertaining and food give the book a sophisticated flare. One recipe I tried, the Almond Blancmange with Strawberries (recipe below), was found in Jefferson's own handwriting. It's a unique, super-sweet, fun dessert. Mansfield has written 18 other cookbooks, including The Oregon Trail Cookbook, but be warned that the recipes are not all foolproof, and also are not strictly for beginners. The Potatoes au Gratin's cheese sauce took almost 30 minutes to thicken in my kitchen, which made for a late dinner. Perhaps my 2% milk was too thin for the roux. The book is also filled with wonderful illustrations from nature books of the late 1800s. The images of animals correspond to the recipes, including a turtle near the Turtle Soup recipe (it can also be made with chicken, thank goodness!) Most charming about this book are the recipes with foods that are specific to our region — like mussels, wild mushrooms, and huckleberries. The majority of the remaining ingredients and inspirations are from the New World as well. As such, it makes a great book to browse if you're looking for something creative for your Thanksgiving meal, or just warm comforting meals that work creatively with autumn harvest foods. Almond Blancmange with Strawberries 1
c. finely ground almonds Lightly oil a 6-cup ring mold and wipe out the excess oil. In a small bowl, stir together the ground almonds and 1 1/4 c. water. Let stand one hour. Place a colander in a large bowl. Lay a damp tea towel in the colander. Pour the almond mixture into the center of the towel, allowing the liquid to strain through the bowl. Bring up the sides of the towel and twist around the almonds, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Discard the almonds. (I found them already ground at Trader Joe's, and also saved the strained mixture for making muffins. — MT) In a small bowl, soften the gelatin in the 1/3 c. water. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine the almond liquid, sugar and almond extract. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the softened gelatin. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and place it in a larger bowl of ice. In the same saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir the scalded milk into the almond mixture. Continue to stir until completely cool. Whip the cream until stiff, then gently fold into the cooled almond mixture. Pour into the prepared mold, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight. To serve, dip the bottom of the mold in hot water for a moment to loosen the blancmange from the mold. Invert onto a serving plate and carefully remove the mold. Fill the center with the strawberries.
Leftovers: The Hult Center has a great new program called "Dinner and a Show." If you present your ticket to your server at any of the participating places (Adam's Place, Luna, Ambrosia, Big River Grill, Ax Billy Grill, Mona Lizza, Café Paradiso, Perugino, Café Lucky Noodle or Wild Duck Brewery) you'll be eligible for special discounts, including free desserts, coffees and discounted or special entrees or appetizers. It's a little funny who's not on the list: Zenon is my favorite pre-show dinner date, but it is undisputedly a great deal. You may have noticed a new facelift for the Sizzler Restaurant on W. 11th. Earlier this week, under the direction of manager John Weakland, Sizzler hosted a gala benefit dinner. With seven gourmet, locally grown courses, and an auction for FOOD for Lane County, it was a great way to bring that new face into the community. The remodel also coincides with an addition: Taco Del Mar is the new neighbor, a chain based in Seattle. The fast food taco/burrito joint follows the lines of Burrito Boy, just down the street, but with more "inner Baja," which seems to mean surf paraphernalia.
Upper
Trestle Creek Falls During the 1860s mining boom in the hills east of Cottage Grove, thousands of grizzled prospectors combed steep river valleys searching for the elusive glimmer of gold at the bottom of ice-cold mountain streams. Few if any ever struck it rich. Today you'd be lucky to find more than $50 worth of gold in a week's worth of panning or dredging in frigid waters.
But there is gold in those hills this time of year — dozens of steep canyons choked with brilliant golden leaves. Of course evergreen conifers like Douglas fir and western hemlock are the primary tree species in most of the steep ravines on the west side of the Cascades, but many of these forests also have a significant deciduous hardwood component, which provides some nice color in the fall. One of the best places to take in the fall atmosphere is the Upper Trestle Creek Falls trail, a three-mile loop trail east of Cottage Grove. Directions: Take I-5 south for approximately 15 miles to Cottage Grove Exit 174. Stay to the left off the intersection, and take a left onto Row River Road (follow signs for Dorena Lake). Stay on this main paved road for approximately 22 miles. 5.7 miles past the sign for the Umpqua National Forest, just after milepost 8 and just before the second bridge across Brice Creek, park by a sign for "Brice Creek Trailhead — Champion Creek Trailhead." From here walk a hundred feet up the road, across the bridge over Brice Creek. The first trailhead on the left is where you'll return from the loop hike. Put in at the next trailhead on the left, at the sign for "Upper Trestle Creek Falls." The first mile of the trail is a moderate climb through a forest that varies from young stands to big old-growth trees. There's some interesting rock formations, and patches of fiery-colored vine maple. The climb ends in an eerie rock walled amphitheater. The trail circles the canyon and takes you underneath 65-foot Upper Trestle Creek Falls, a torrent in the spring, but a gentle stream before the winter rains. There are several tall big-leaf maples, and at the end of October the bottom of the gorge is typically dotted with thousands of bright yellow leaves. The second half of the loop descends a mile to the Brice Creek trail, which begins five miles downstream. During the 1860s, prospectors packed more than a ton of gold down this trail during one of several mining booms in the area. Today there's still enough hidden and unmarked mine shafts dotting the valley walls that the Forest Service recommends visitors stay on the trail. At the junction with the Brice Creek trail, take a left and hike upstream from for a half-mile. There'll be a short quarter mile long one-way trail that heads uphill to 60-foot Lower Trestle Creek Falls. After your return to the main trail, it's just another third of a mile back to your car. Feel free to bring all the gold you like back with you.
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