Faces in Photography

I don't pretend to be a photographer, professional or otherwise.  However, I do love taking photos of many things but my most favorite things to photograph are faces. Stone, statue, animal, human... you name it and I want to capture every detail.

I have been going through all my photos I have stored and came across some of these faces I photographed last Spring on our trip to the UK and France.  I'm not exactly remembering where each of them were taken but of course the last two were in one of the many churches we walked through in reverence and awe.  The middle photo was taken at a garden shop near Fakenham.  It's not old or technically a piece of art but I had to laugh when I saw it. I almost convinced myself that it was actually a self photograph and after so much short bread and lattes during our visit it could have easily been.

Some people have said that these statued faces were creepy and yes, I have to agree they do kind of remind you of a scene in a scary movie.  But, when you total up the experience with the history and hundreds of years of everlasting carvings, you can look at them in a totally different way.  We toured so many churches and saw so much and no two faces carved in stone or cast in bronze were alike.

A face of a king, a gestured pose, a smiling fattened god, a man of God or the Virgin Mary... it really doesn't matter, art of this magnitude can only captured up close in person or with a click of a camera.  So, I'll keep taking those "face" photographs in my travels and creep myself out now and then when I look back at them.

If you are an experienced photographer and are reading my blog, I would surely welcome some pointers.  I'm heading to Germany for two weeks in March so I'd love some advice!

Albany Nosh Tour!

The nosh tour tonight ended at our darling Carousel museum.  A magical place where carvers, painters and artists gather to create the most amazing pieces of art.  The animals there seem to come to life as they progressively near their completion.  I made this delicious Walnut Torte along with a chocolate cake with Ganache frosting to share at the museum.  Every good nosh needs to end with a sweet!

Meet Janel Bennett.  One half of the best taste in town, she and her husband Matt own three restaurants on First Avenue.  We noshed at two of them today... Sybaris and First Burger!  I can never get a photo of Janel without parts of her being blurry cause she never slows down.  I asked her not to move just long enough to grab this photo of her.  What an angel and such a huge blessing to have her in our community.  That Matt Bennett is a lucky guy!

I have to say, First Burger has the best fried pickles around!  And I'll have to go back soon cause I'll be craving a burger now till I get one!

A crostini with a slab of creamy cream cheese and some pepper jelly... man oh man... what a perfect combo!  If you like it hot and spicy with the coolness of creamy cream cheese, then this is for you!  Along with their wine and coffee, Sweet Red is the newest member of the Albany Nosh Tours and what an asset.  You can't help but love them.  A sweet spot in town for sure!

I had to photograph this bottle of wine.  It's me!  That's the name of my blog and how darling is this!  Now I'll have to order myself some "Sweet Bliss" sweet red wine.. don't you think?

Oh Ruby, how we love you!  A little caprese with a cool drizzle of your 30 year old balsamic vinegar and we're in Italian heaven!  The flavors of fresh mozzarella, pesto, a local Oregon olive oil and a perfect meld of perfection in my mouth, I could eat this every day!

And that creme with dark chocolate and biscotti... oh my gosh!

Once again... a perfect tour!  Thanks to all our participants and guests on the tour.  We hope if you haven't been, that you'll come soon.  You really need to taste all of the Willamette Valley right here in Albany on the Albany Nosh Tour!

ALBANY FOOD FILM SERIES... solving this omnivore's dilemma!

 I had never learned so much about my food until I moved to Oregon.  In a land so fertile and rich, the Willamette Valley is surely Oregon's bounty and in it's fields of green, my dinner grows!  

I love knowing that what I eat grows just a few miles from where I live and that those farmers and growers know that most of us love that.  Food is an integral part of human survival but how important is "locally grown," "sustainable" and "organic" to us and our bodies?  Find out at the ALBANY FOOD FILM SERIES this March!

I put the dates of these films in my calendar and will grab my edition and reread "The Omnivore's Dilemma!"  If you haven't read that one, maybe a concurrent read with this film series will help educate you as to why what we nourish our bodies with helps determine our outcome as human beings.  Choosing to eat and buy local not only provides us with the best of the best, it also could quite possibly be a cure for what ails our ever growing pollution issues every which way.

Whether you are new at learning about where your food comes from or are interested in knowing how "food" works in your community, just put these four dates in your calendar.  

Hope to see you at the ALBANY FOOD FILM SERIES!

Inn at the 5th... a sweet spot in Eugene's "Fifth Street Public Market!"

No matter where we travel, the first thing we do is find lodging and figure out which restaurant serves the best food in town.  Nine times out of ten, we end up at a boutique hotel in the middle of a downtown somewhere.  We love to roll up in our car and never have to see it again until it's time to go home!  The point, boutique hotels are usually located in the perfect spots in town.  They are usually close to shopping, next to some sort of public transportation, have a connection to a spa very close by and most importantly, there is a restaurant or many restaurants physically attached to the hotel.  Inn at the 5th in downtown Eugene has that perfect location and surrounds itself with everything you'll ever need to enjoy your boutique hotel stay.  It can be found at the Fifth Street Public Market!

When I was invited to be a guest a few nights ago at Inn at the 5th, I jumped at the chance to go.  I have been an inn inspector for our state B & B organization for a few years now and I am the Travel Oregon Willamette Valley Ask Oregon Ambassador so I loved that I would have a chance to check out this new hotel!  What a perfect spot and what a perfect place for my guest room to be and right outside my door just across a beautiful courtyard was LaVelle Vineyards Tasting Room.  The wine was divine and the company even better and a true local hangout to taste the best wine in the Southern Willamette Valley.

A great tour of the hotel came next with some history of the region and the city of Eugene then we were off to dinner!  

I have only been to Marche' once before for lunch so having dinner there was pretty amazing.  It all began with an aperitif that was delicious and was followed with tastes of sparkling wine a few more reds and some whites that carried us through a menu that included Dungeness Crab Cakes, Steak Tartare, Roasted Beet & Orange Salad, Wood Oven-Roasted Steelhead, Rabbit Fricassee made with venison sausage, black truffles and roasted winter vegetables and then there was dessert...

...a Bittersweet Chocolate Tart turned in to a taste of four sweets instead of one.  In addition to the tart, we enjoyed Creme Brûlée, Ice Cream made with a Nut Brittle Cookie and some little delicious cake thingy I devoured but can not remember the name of.  Oh, and this sweet cup of coffee with cream, my perfect ending!

With a full belly a satiated appetite and one more little night cap that included an Organic Cherry Manhattan at a little bar across the street called the Granery, we went up to our room and snoozed till morning.  

Room service for breakfast, a spa treatment for moi at Gervais Salon and Day Spa and such a relaxing and lovely stay, I didn't really want to leave!  

Inn at the 5th... you certainly found the sweetest spot to plant yourself.  You have made a boutique hotel in Eugene a destination for guests yearning to be pampered and spoiled from your amenities to your art to your concierge and beyond!   

I am looking forward to the little surprises that are coming for Inn at the 5th.  The summer concerts, the extra fine touches that will grace this boutique hotel along with the already very thoughtful touches that will make it even sweeter!

Thank you!

My thanks to Inn at the 5th and Maxwell PR for the invite.  Elements of my trip were hosted and arranged by Inn at the 5th, Marche', and Gervais Lifestyle Salon and Spa and my lodging was provided by Inn at the 5th.

Yes... I'll work for Chocolate! ASHLAND Springs Hotel... Oregon Chocolate Festival!

Home     About the Hotel     Meetings & Events     Weddings     Guest Rooms     Leisure & Attractions Greetings from Ashland! Have you been to the OREGON CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL before? No?! This is our 8th festival and it's going to be the best yet. Mark your calendar and come to Ashland the weekend of March 2-4. The festival is completely dedicated to Oregon chocolatiers and specialty food vendors, and their fantastic creations. Meet, sample and buy products from well established companies, such as Dagoba, Lillie Belle Farms, or Stirs the Soul. Discover latest trends including Sipping Dreams' drinking chocolate bar, cupcakes and cake pops. Start planning your weekend in Ashland. Join us in celebrating all things chocolate! The annual OREGON CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL - a weekend long event will take place at the Ashland Springs Hotel and many other locations throughout downtown Ashland. Festival tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Hotel. Many other events have limited sitting and require reservations. Make sure you book your spot today! Festival official website.  Festival Schedule! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. During the festival, guest judges will pick their favorites and award them the title of the Best Chocolate Product in 8 different categories.  You get a chance to vote for your favorite product, too! Make sure to participate in the 2012 People's Choice Award! FESTIVAL ATTRACTIONS: Meet, sample & buy! - Over 40 Oregon chocolatiers and other specialty food vendors present their products and tease your palate with fantastic and surprising flavors!Other vendors includeOregon wineries, breweries and coffee roasters. (Saturday & Sunday 11- 3pm at the hotel).    Chocolate Makers Dinner (Friday, 6:30 - 9pm) Two executive chefs, Kate Cyr and David Georgeson partnered in creating this delightful four-course dinner featuring chocolate in each dish. $59 inclusive. Dinner is accompanied by a short presentations from Art Pollard, founder of Amano Chocolates, and Larry Chase, the brewer at the Standing Stone Brewing Co. Chocolate-themed First Friday Art Walk (Friday, 5 - 8pm). Enjoy diverse forms of art, local wines and chocolates. A great prelude to the weekend long chocolate extravaganza. "Chocolate Confessions" - one woman comedy musical at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre. (Saturday 3:30pm) Baking Class at Deux Chats Bakery - learn how to bake chocolate brioche. Class limited to 10 people. Guided tasting of world's best 10 dark chocolates- Saturday and Sunday (class limited to 25 people each) The Science of Chocolate: From Farm to You. Two workshops for kids and families, at the ScienceWorks Museum (Sunday 1:30 & 2:30pm)     Edible Facial - Chocolate Martini Facial Spa Party - Saturday at 4-6pm - $30/person includes two chocolate martinis. Great chocolate festival night out with friends! Screeing of the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - ScienceWorks Museum, Saturday 4-5:30pm Beer & Chocolate Pairing - Explore the unexpected! Join Ginger Johnson from Women Enjoying Beer for an educational and fun-filled pairing of 3 beers paired with 3 chocolates.     Chocolate treatments at Waterstone Spa & Salon - enjoy blissful massage, mani & pedi, body scrub and other treatments designed to utilize beneficial antioxidants found in chocolate!    Chocolate discount at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival- Chocolate & theatre! Call OSF box office, mention 'chocolate' and receive 40% discount for the shows on March 2-4, 2012! Discount at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre - mention 'chocolate' and enjoy $5 off! 541-488-2902 See you all in Ashland next month! Sincerely, Karolina Wyszynska Ashland Springs Hotel Festival Coordinator Thanks to Ashland Springs Hotel for letting me share this!  I can hardly wait to taste the CHOCOLATE!

Epicurean Walking Tour... tasting all the good food in Portland!

A few years ago when I experienced my first Epicurean Walking Tour in Portland, I was still so new here that I had to do a little research before going.  First of all, what the heck did "epicurean" really mean and why was the food in Portland such a big deal.  Well, now I may not know where ALL the good food in Portland is still but I can assure you that it is my lifelong mission to try and find it!

If you aren't sure what "epicurean" actually means literally, go and google it.  Or you could possibly just imagine... this sweet cup of some of the best chocolate found in the world warmed to a perfect temperature for sipping and it was like drinking hot liquid chocolate mousse.  Decadence on my palate, a pure chocolate experience that is so unlike any other.  It was said that our guide on this food tour has seen people tear the cup apart after consuming the chocolate to lick every corner and surface to be sure to get it all.  If they didn't know what "epicurean" meant before, they did then!

One of our very first stops was at a Portland Food Cart.  How appropriate is that!  I can't say much for fear that I won't get invited back but just an FYI... watch for yet another decadent tour coming up!

Now on to my waffle.  From a food cart, this waffle without its adornment of pure maple syrup was to die for!   Just the perfect amount of crunch and sweetness that I seriously took my time to enjoy every single bite.  And yes, the food cart folks in Portland seriously know what they are doing but there are so many to choose from and there's only a certain amount of food a person can digest in a day.

These darlings were found at the Pearl Bakery.  Croissants, Gibassiers and some little chocolate things that I can't remember the name of and are not pictured here because we probably devoured them already.  Liking it to a Panatone or Challah bread, the Gibasier with that hint of sugar on top with orange peel inside was my favorite.  A great pairing with a cup of hot black tea on a cold day in Portland.

I have to say that I accredit my tour that day a few years ago to a lot of things.  I think by my experience then and the same tour just a few days ago, I will be spurred on to find even more great food experiences in Portland.  But, it also will remind me just how great the food is everywhere in Oregon.  Being born of this particular Epicurean Walking Tour in Portland, our Albany Nosh Tours have and are continuing to be so much more that what we expected.  Thanks to our chef's, our restaurateurs and their knowledge and love of really good food, our food tours are quite popular and endear us and our tour guests even more with our beloved Willamette Valley bounty.


Thanks again David, Bob and Portland Walking Tours for hosting us from Albany Visitors Assn, Travel Lane County and Travel Portland. We had an awesome day and we'll be back!

The Stories of my Coffee

Behind every latte' there's a story.

In the first photo, I must have been somewhere getting ready to tell someone about the Albany Nosh Tours.  I was probably wondering if they wanted to be a participant.  So, where was I?... not sure but I'm sure it was somewhere that made great coffee!

Not too crazy about too much foam but a little is ok.  I especially love the designs a seasoned barista puts in my lattes.  My fav...I once got a Ginko leaf design.  So cool!

My ole stand by... Starbucks.  I heard someone say yesterday that they were raised Catholic so to them it will always be St. Arbucks.  Funny but sure I will think of that every time I have a cup from Starbucks now!

Oh... and my friend Patty taught me about sprinkling cocoa powder on top of a regular latte'.  Thanks girlfriend... it's really good that way!

Well, this latte' was made with Bailey's.  Sitting outside of a bar in San Diego this past January sipping Bailey's and coffee and watching the folks go by.  A perfect drink for a perfect view.

And this last latte' was consumed at Sweet Red in downtown Albany, Oregon a few weeks ago.  Hot, steamy, frothy and very good.  Sweet Red is a darling little cafe with a great menu, nice atmosphere and delicious bites.  I loved their Mac N Cheese!

SEA to TABLE... a dinner celebrating Oregon fisheries!

Boasting the most in number and the most in varied styles in all of Oregon, Albany's historic homes and buildings bring visitors from all over the world. And now... Albany is beginning to attract a whole new breed of visitors interested in tasting the best food in the state and it's all found right here where we live, the Willamette Valley!

It's no secret that Oregon as a whole is well known all over the world for producing the best of many things that are enjoyed and consumed in one form or another.  More importantly here in the Willamette Valley, we are quick to state and are proud to acknowledge that we are becoming noticed as the best place in Oregon to find the best restaurants and "foodie" experiences.  Places like Vault 244 putting the swank in small town Oregon, Calapooia Brewing Company putting us on the big map by making some of the most awesome beer in Oregon and of course our very own Sybaris Bistro owned by James Beard Foundation award winning chef Matt Bennett and his wife Janel.  Using local, buying from our nearby farmers and helping support our communities, our restaurateurs and chefs have found the bounties here at home and they know how to use them.

Speaking of community support, the Bennett's have and continue to host a handful of fund raisers in Albany, Linn County and Portland.  They have single handedly provided the "it" spot for foodies wanting that "special" Oregon food experience and by combining their efforts, expertise and talent, Chef Matt and his wife Janel at Sybaris Bistro in downtown Albany, have taken locavore and giving to a whole new level.  Shopping close to home for the best of the best before the chefs in Portland even get a whiff of what's growing, Matt has already planned and prepped his way in to many hearts and bellies with his mouthwatering dishes.  So, to say that the Bennetts and Sybaris are involved in another awesome fund raising "food event" is not surprising at all.

Sea to Table is presented by the Ten Rivers Food Web and you find out exactly what that is all about below!  Please join us as we celebrate the amazing BOUNTY found right here in the heart of the valley and beyond and all grown and made with love right here from Albany, Oregon!

"Ten Rivers Food Web invites you to join us for Sea to Table, a dinner celebrating Oregon’s sustainable fisheries on February 26^th from 5pm to 8pm at Linn-Benton Community College. Highlighting the magnificent sustainable seafood and produce available during Oregon’s winter months, Chefs Matt Bennettof Sybaris Bistro in Albany and Rob Pounding of Blackfish Café in Lincoln City (both featured chefs at the prestigious James Beard House in New York) are teaming up to support low-income access to healthy, locally grown food in Linn and Lincoln counties.

Guests will learn about sustainable seafood and local farms directly from the fishermen and farmers who supply ingredients for the meal. Seafood will be provided by the Oregon Crab Commission, the Oregon Trawl Commission, Ocean Bleu at Gino’s, and theOregon Albacore Commission. Springhill Farm andPersephone Farm will supply the fresh winter produce. Vegetarian entrées will also be available, but please email katy@tenriversfoodweb with your request. The event will feature live music from Sweet Papa Lowdown.  Reserve a table for 8 to dine with friends, family, or co-workers by calling Katy Giombolini at 541-602-7278.

This benefit dinner will support the That’s My Farmer SNAP Incentive Program, an initiative that aims to make local, nutritious food more affordable for low-income consumers while also supporting Oregon’s small farms.  When customers use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at participating farmers’ markets, with a minimum purchase of $6 they receive an additional $6 in That’s My Farmer tokens.

This incentive helps the almost 35,000 people receiving SNAP benefits in Linn and Lincoln counties put more fresh fruits and vegetables on their tables.  In 2011, customers spent $6,878 in SNAP dollars at participating Linn County farmers’ markets. Lincoln County customers spent $4,973 in SNAP dollars at participating markets.  With the addition of the incentive, That’s My Farmer recipients spent over $15,000 to support local farmers last season.

With your help, we will build on last year’s success and expand the program to markets in Lebanon, Lincoln City, Toledo and Yachats for the 2012 market season. Please join us Feb. 26th for Sea to Table. Tickets are $49 and can be purchased at Sybaris Bistro, Clemenza’s, First Burger, First Alternative Co-op, Oregon Coast Community College and online here."