Say 'Hello' to My Little Friend

In the midst of downsizing it's typical that I had to pick-up one more treasure.

Meet my charming red Juice-O-Mat.  How could I resist such lovely design?

Apparently, made around 1948 before refrigerated sections and cartons of juice. 

I christened it with grapefruit.

And look, the base has the most charming pour spout.

Sadly, here's the juicer that was replaced.  In my mom's words 'there's always someone better than you.'

A Rescue

Look! I found filthy Le Creuset; bought it for $3.

He's little, only 2-quarts but I have coveted Le Creuset for far too long to pass up even a small version. He was found at The Bins, also known as the As-Is Bins or the Goodwill Outlet; a cavernous warehouse space filled with waist-height troughs of junk where equally sordid folks (me included) territorially root through mounds of cast-offs, sniffing for tasty bits. My creosote encrusted pot was nestled among a tangle of coat hangers and cheap neck ties waiting for a sorry sap to clean it. The above photo shows my dirty guy AFTER a soaking of oven cleaner.

Ta-da!
After hours of scraping congealed grease and carbonite my pot is now mostly clean.

I lost a little paint around the bottom but – an improvement nonetheless.

The only problem is, tangerine seems lonely being the only brightly hued fellow in my cookware collection. A 9-quart friend perhaps, in cobalt...*sigh*

Nutz

Chestnuts remain one of my favorite nuts. I associate them with so many fond bits of autumn days past; of grandma patiently peeling them at Thanksgiving; or my kid brother's attempts at extracting a pristine nut; or my poppa's winning smile home from work a bag heavy with nuts. Available for a short time of the year chestnuts were a childhood marker of the transition into winter and the holidays to come.

But memories aside chestnuts are simply stinking good eats. At their best they're flavor is subtle and sweet and unlike most tree nuts they're starchy in texture more akin to a potato rather than a peanut. The month-long harvest begins in mid-September and ends by the mid to late October and I recently discovered on the return from a neighborhood run, they grow here in Portland. The inedible horse chestnut also grows here who's hull is reminiscent of a medieval flail, a contrast to the sweet chestnut's full head of spikes.


A search of "urban foraging in Portland" yielded Urban Edibles a comprehensive site with a map flagging all sorts of edible eats growing on both private and public lands. I set my sights on neighborhood Laurelhurst Park where trees on public lands wait a mere two blocks from our house. A drive-by recon mission would reveal that the neighborhood trees were already claimed turf. Two Chinese grannies well padded beneath layers of quilted vests stood sentry, one wielding a stick, the other wrist crossed at the small of her back, both guarding and waiting for falling nuts. Public lands you say, I know but we all know no one stands a chance against Chinese grannies in vests.

So Eddy and I consulted our map that told of another patch located in a cemetery and that's where we struck pay dirt.

We had so much fun hunting for these guys! While scanning the ground for fallen nuts we kept our ears perked for an audible; a crack, a shuttering leaves, then a delay followed by a solid dull thump and hop. The final thud is the kind of sound that elicits deep tireless satisfaction, like a weighty pebble tossed into a pond or the sucking pop of an extracted cork. I left the quiet cemetery with its giant trees and eroding stones feeling satiated; my basket heavy with memories and nuts.

This Week's Find

Let's be honest, Missoula is not exactly known for it's cultural diversity, so imagine my surprise when I spotted this dejected fellow among a crew of ashtrays at the Goodwill. Let me introduce you to my friend Mr. Vietnamese Coffee Maker.

Here's how the rig works there are three parts; a lid, a basket for the grounds, and a plunger. Begin by placing the basket on top of a small glass with a tablespoon of condensed milk poured into the bottom of the glass. With the lid and plunger removed and add 3 T. of coffee to the basket. Replace the plunger and twist clockwise until it makes contact with the coffee. Once your water has come to a boil, pour a tablespoon of water in to moisten the coffee. Wait a few seconds before filling the basket to the top, replacing the lid. The brewed coffee should slowly drip down into the awaiting milk. Once the water has drained through remove the lid and set the basket atop it. Stir the coffee and milk together and serve as is or poured over ice. Yum