This trip is chock-full of treats
I received an urgent message in my voice mailbox the other day:
“Christianne, could you come over and watch our dog show?”
(Loooong pause.)
“This is Luke.”
My friend Luke, age 4, schedules a lot of activities for me, including a recent camping trip. Naturally, I provided s’mores.
The only chocolate I had on hand, however, rang in at a very dark 70 percent cocoa. Here is Luke’s review:
“I hate it!!!”
And then he ran away.
So Luke won’t be joining me at the Heathman Restaurant’s tea and dinner Saturday with San Francisco chocolatier Michael Recchiuti.
Christened the “Picasso” of chocolate by Gourmet Magazine, Recchiuti literally wrote the book on the subject in the form of “Chocolate Obsession,” a cookbook honored with awards for photography and design, not to mention a 2006 nomination for the James Beard Award.
Portland’s Heathman will showcase his expertise with sweet basil chocolate martinis, cocoa nib nougatine shells filled with savory mousse, mini gingerbread cupcakes with white chocolate and lemon topping, and other comparable delights at tea seatings scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m.
The cost for all this deliciousness? $35.95.
If you’d like to spend more for your chocolate, the Heathman will happily oblige.
Chef Philippe Boulot has flipped through the pages of “Chocolate Obsession” in search of ideas for a dinner menu and settled on this lineup: tuna au poivre with cocoa nib crust, tarragon ruby grapefruit granita, duck mole, burnt caramel pot de crème with milk chocolate, a sampler of Recchiuti Confections and petit fours of chocolate.
The Chocolate Dinner will set you back $78, or $110 with wine pairings, gratuity not included.
To get your hands on Recchiuti’s treats without leaving home, click around www.recchiuti.com. For more information about the Saturday events, visit www.heathmanrestaurantandbar.com or call (503) 790-7752.
Try the test-tubers
Let’s stick with food and Portland, and see what’s cooking next year.
On Jan. 19, The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will host “Science in the Kitchen: An Evening with the Nation’s Top Culinary Alchemists.”
The information I received says they’re going to honor some of the country’s emerging “science chefs” and explore the “scientific approach to food.”
I’ll confess I was unaware of this movement in the culinary arts. But if OMSI says it’s so, that’s good enough for me.
To judge for yourself, sign on for the “Cocktail Chemistry and Appetizer Alchemy” event, where you’ll find “molecular gastronomy,” edible paper, liquid nitrogen ice cream, science experiments, live music, cooking demonstrations and more for a mere $100.
Or you can pay $500 for the cocktail party combined with dinner and an auction. The multi-course affair promises a “gastronomic journey like no other” featuring “extraordinary dishes that will feed all your senses.”
Participating chefs hail from Chicago, New York and right there in Portland.
To get in on the scientific action, go to www.omsi.edu/gala or call (503) 797-4574.
Investing in the future
If you think paying $500 for dinner is a good idea, then a visit to The Children’s Museum in Seattle may be in order.
“Moneyville,” running until Jan. 13, will teach you – and your young ‘uns – how to play the stock market, run a lemonade stand, create your own money and other fun stuff.
The 6,000-square-foot traveling exhibit includes a bank, store, anti-counterfeiting lab and an international port. You’ll get a gander at various kinds of currency and see what a million dollars really looks like.
The goal is to build math skills and promote economic literacy – and if you’re expecting your kids to tend to you in our dotage, that seems worth the trouble.
Learn more at www.thechildrensmuseum.org or (206) 441-1768.
Regional events
“Vancouver International Film Festival, Saturday, Vancouver, B.C. Choose from among 300 films representing 50 countries. (www.viff.org/604-685-0260)
“Bridger Raptor Festival, Saturday and next Sunday, Bozeman. Help count the participants of the largest known golden eagle migration in the United States. (www.visitmt.com/ 406-582-0526)
“Wapato Tamale Festival, Oct. 20, Wapato, Wash. Head to the downtown business district for music, dancing, the tamale cook-off, car show, wine tasting, street fair and more. (www.visityakima.com/ 509-877-4262)
“Dia de Muertos, Oct. 27 and 28, Seattle. Celebrate the Mexican tradition with music and candlelit altars. (www.seattlecenter.com/ 206-684-7200)