'The Oregonian Cookbook' celebrates 3 delicious decades of great Foodday recipes (2024)

View full size"The Oregonian Cookbook"

Next Monday is a big day for us, with the arrival of

"The Oregonian Cookbook: Best Recipes From Foodday"

(Carpe Diem; $22.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover; 403 pages) in bookstores and at many local retailers.

There's no doubt that the project was daunting: to collect our best-loved recipes from the past 30 years, organize and re-edit them. Add a chapter of recipes from many of Portland's leading chefs, as well as one devoted to native son James Beard. Test recipes at home after work. Visit all kinds of specialty markets and compile a list of the city's amazing resources. Collect archive photos, shoot new ones. And go to meetings. Oh, so many meetings.

But through it all, the enthusiasm of readers kept us going. Many of them, and former staffers, too, generously took the time to nominate their favorite recipes. Winnowing them to 354 was tough, because we wanted to honor the rich variety of dishes across all three decades, as well as the diversity of our readers.

Recipes included with this story: Chicken Paprikash in a Pinch; Pan-Seared Green Beans With Spicy Remoulade; Rich's Mediterranean Lamb Shanks; Orange Salad With Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette, Iced Onions and Cilantro; Nana's Cioppino; Sharon's Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits; Lemon Tart; Cranberry Streusel Bars.

It's akin to the balancing act we do here every day. Unlike more narrowly focused publications, such as Cooking Light, or even The Oregonian's own MIX magazine, a newspaper food section must appeal to a broad audience -- from a 20-something just learning to make spaghetti sauce, to a time-strapped parent struggling with picky kids, to the dedicated foodie who relishes a challenge.

We try to include recipes that are familiar and accessible, but also cover chefs and other trendsetters. And when it comes to watching food trends, there's no better place to be than Oregon. Over the years, we have witnessed the astonishing growth of farmers markets and organic produce, vegetarian and vegan living, cheesemaking and artisan meats, food blogging, gourmet and ethnic ingredients, food carts, and Northwest wine and microbrews.

In fact, you can hardly pick up a magazine these days without seeing some feature on Northwest food culture.

But today's DIY enthusiasts stand on broad shoulders, and a lot of what gets written about these days -- such as the joys of preserving or keeping a backyard beehive -- were just ordinary, everyday life skills to earlier generations.

In fact, once upon a time, both of Portland's daily newspapers had large departments dedicated to helping homemakers: The Oregon Journal's was called Mary Cullen's Cottage; The Oregonian's was Hostess House. Like Betty Crocker, Mary Cullen never existed. But both papers had real-life editors, writers and home economists who not only wrote stories and tested recipes, but also published helpful guides and answered a daily barrage of phone calls from readers seeking advice far beyond just cooking, such as party tips, laundry problems, appliance and etiquette questions, even gardening.

Since the merger of the two papers, Foodday has continued to evolve and reflect the wider choices women have outside the home -- and the greater role many men play in cooking and caring for children and the home.

Thus, we wanted "The Oregonian Cookbook" to not be just of the moment, but of many moments, and to honor the combined cooking wisdom of all Oregon cooks.

For today's issue, I asked Foodday's regular contributors to share one of their recipes from the book, and to talk about the changes they've seen in Portland's food scene and in their area of expertise. You'll recognize their names: Grant Butler, Katherine Cole, Linda Faus, Ivy Manning and Laura Russell.

I've also shared some of my personal favorites, the recipes that always make me proud when I share them with family and friends. I hope they give you as much satisfaction as they give me.

-- Katherine Miller

: 503-294-5157

'The Oregonian Cookbook': Join us for discussion, signing

Join us from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at Powell's City of Books downtown as Foodday editor Katherine Miller and several local food writers and editors participate in a panel discussion on the evolution of Portland as a major food destination. Panelists will include Grant Butler, author of The Oregonian's Going Vegan column; former Test Kitchen director Linda Faus; former Foodday editor Ginger Johnston; contributor and author Ivy Manning ("The Farm to Table Cookbook" and "The Adaptable Feast"); and author Janie Hibler ("Dungeness Crabs and Blackberry Cobblers" and "Wild About Game"). Miller will sign books after the panel.