er, is Zupan's open?

I just walked over to Zupan's and back to get the ingredients for French Onion soup. In the last 24 hours I've come to the conclusion that people are much friendlier in this frigid weather. Yesterday as I trudged down...

Armandino and Gina Batali, Salumi Artisan Cured Meats owners and relatives of Food Network star Mario Batali, will visit two of Portland's Zupan's Markets tomorrow. Based in Seattle, the Batali's products are handmade from the freshest products produced in the Pacific Northwest and are created from recipes based on Italian tradition, yet refreshed with innovation. Who/What: Armandino [...]

One thing I love about the Holidays is the samples in the grocery stores. Okay. Not just any stores. Zupan's and Trader Joes.

Last week I had an entire Thanksgiving dinner on a sample plate at Zupan's. To which my nephew responded: "That's crazy!" Yes, but it's also delicious. Their sage stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy all piled on a tiny plate - such a delightful pre-cursor to the culinary creativity it inspires. And the cheese - there are always cheese samples, which hits my pocketbook hard.

Today, I had pumpkin pie at Trader Joe's. They are always dependable for a good solid sample.

If you time it right, you can get a whole meal. You have three days before Thanksgiving, and then the Christmas samples start. If I didn't have a job, I would drive around finding good samples and twitter them, so you would all know where to go. But I do have a job. So you'll just have to find them on your own. Happy sampling!

Thanksgiving food boxes being handed out for first time ever

12pm to 6pm at:

Burnside Zupan's, 2340 W Burnside, Portland, OR, 97210
Belmont Zupan's, 3301 SE Belmont, Portland, OR, 97214
Macadam Zupan's, 7221 SW Macadam, Portland, OR, 97219

$30 for flu shot, $45 for lifetime pneumococcal vaccine. Cash and checks only.

Edit: Cost is $0 if you have one of the insurance carriers listed here.

So I've been home for two days, sick with a cold. Today, I finally ventured out to the store and picked up a little treat to cure the blues of home confinement. The cheese guy at Zupan's told me about this treat a few months ago and I've been fighting the urge to propose to him ever since then.

Baguette, sliced
St. Agur blue cheese (a double-creme, mild, soft blue cheese)
Honey

Smear the cheese on the baguette slices and drizzle honey on top.

I'm not going to say any more. Just try it. You'll probably be declaring your undying love for me soon. Just expect it.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Close-up of the turkey and carrots

Close-up of the rolls

Close-up of the butter

Close-up of the mashed potatoes

Close-up of the apple pie
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