A Dispatch from the Left Coast

To say these are some strange days would be the understatement of the century. We are all challenged by this new normal of “shelter in place,” a term which I seriously dislike and is virtually meaningless. How about “self-isolation?” That seems a bit more literal to me. In any case, I have been self-isolating since Friday, March 13^th. 22 days as of today, April 2^nd. I am not quarantined; I have been to the supermarket twice, ditto the liquor store, and go for a walk around our local park once a day, rain or shine. We have also picked up to-go food once a week or so, mainly to support our neighborhood restaurants. It’s been quite the adjustment for a guy who follows the euro model of shopping for groceries every single day, composing the evening meal as I wander the aisles.

As someone who enjoys socializing, I miss our near-daily happy hour glass of wine at The Fields Bar and Grill, a small, upscale sports bar just a block and a half from our Pearl District condo here in Portland, OR. Communication by text, Facebook, and FaceTime has been a decent substitute, and I can’t imagine what it would be like without any electronic communication capabilities. Our daughter has set up a weekly family get-together via Zoom, where we play games, have trivia contests, or share a family dinner, all in the virtual world. Like anyone who has been paying attention, I wish I would have bought some Zoom shares about a month ago!

When the schools first closed and the stay-at-home order for Oregon was issued, I was appalled when, on my daily walkabout, I saw 20 or 25 children all playing in close proximity on the playground, with a dozen or so parents congregating with no regard for social distancing. Then Oregonians started to die, which put an instant end to the cavalier attitudes of some folks. I am extremely proud of my Pearl District neighbors, 100% of whom are taking self-isolation and social distancing very seriously. 

If you feel frustrated by your states’ “doubling rate,” where state-wide cases double every 2-5 days, take a look at the west coast states as illustrated in the graph above. Washington, the first and one of the hardest hit states, has dramatically slowed the growth of the virus, and California is in the process of “flattening the curve” as well. But look at Oregon. As of yesterday, we had over 600 cases of Corvid 19, compared to over 6,000 in Washington state and over 10,000 in California. We have seen 19 deaths in Oregon so far, with none of the deceased under 65 years old (more than 2/3 over 80) and all 19 (100%) had underlying medical conditions. As testing in Oregon has dramatically increased over the last two weeks, the new cases and deaths per day have not doubled, much less skyrocket as i states like Louisiana and Florida. We have yet to have a single day with over 100 new cases, and the cases per day have been fluctuating between 40 and 80 per day, but most significantly have not been going up every single day, and there is, so far, no doubling rate here. At least for now, our curve has been flattened.

Obviously, all that could change very quickly, but there is reason for optimism. I point these numbers out not to gloat over my state’s performance, but rather in the hope of driving home the point that if we all rigorously adhere to the stay-at-home directives and maintain social distancing, there is indeed a light at end of this very dark tunnel.

Stay safe and healthy, all of you.


Portland, OR
April 2, 2020

Introducing....Recipes!

Salmon with Pink Sauce

All of my friends and family know that I love to cook.  Many readers of this blog have suggested that I post more often, and quite few others have asked me for some of my favorite recipes.  So I’ve decided to combine the two, starting off my recipe blogging with a family favorite that is also one of the simplest and tastiest dishes I make.  It's a variant of a recipe I saw done on some long ago cooking show.  The original recipe came from the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station in NYC.  It is perfect for the Springer Chinook salmon that is available everywhere in the great Pacific Northwest right about now. (Note: don’t run the other way after reading the ingredients list if you despise anchovies.  If you had the dish without knowing in advance you’d never guess they were there.)

Ingredients: Serves four

1 teaspoon good olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

1 medium shallot, finely diced

4 anchovy filets, roughly chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

1 pint heavy cream

½ tsp white pepper

2 teaspoons tomato paste, divided

2 pounds thick Chinook or King salmon filets, deboned, skinned, and cut into four 6-7 ounce squares, at room temperature

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp softened butter

After skinning and deboning (pulling the little pin bones from the filets) the salmon, individually wrap the squares in paper towels to absorb any surface moisture, which ensures a good sear.

Heat the butter and olive oil over low heat in a medium sauté pan.  Add the shallot and cook very slowly until translucent but not browned.  Add the chopped anchovies and cook slowly, stirring with a wooden spatula until they basically dissolve, about a minute.

Turn up heat and add white wine.  Scrape up all the shallots and anchovy paste into the wine and boil until reduced by half.  Add ¾ of the cream and the white pepper and bring to a simmer boil.  Add one teaspoon of the tomato paste and stir it until it is completely dissolved in the cream sauce.  Add a little more if you want it a little pinker.

Simmer for eight to ten minutes on low heat, adding a little more cream or water if it thickens too quickly.

While the sauce simmers, dredge the salmon squares in the cornstarch, rubbing off any excess.  Let the cornstarch absorb into the flesh, further drying the surface.

Quickly sear the salmon squares in a large, non-stick skillet, just until crisply browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side depending on their thickness.  This will yield medium rare salmon, which is absolutely the best way to prepare it.  Cook it longer if you must. Remove the salmon to a warm plate.

Pour the sauce through a strainer into a Bain Marie or small saucepan over very low heat, and add a bit of cream if the sauce feels thick.  Whisk in the softened butter.

Arrange the salmon on warm plates and pour the pink sauce over it.  Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a steamed green vegetable such as asparagus, broccoli, or zucchini.

A final comment: The key to the simplicity and ease of preparation of this delicious dish is the anchovy.  It obviates the need for seafood stock or clam juice, providing the perfect subtle fish flavor and just the right amount of salt.  The beautiful pink color enhances the beauty of seared fresh salmon.  I couldn’t find a photo of this dish, but I promise the next time I cook it I’ll snap one and update this post.

Feedback always welcome!

June 4, 2012 Update:

Well, last night I finally got around to making the pink sauce again, the occasion being the first Copper River salmon of the season.  This is Coho, and the really great stuff, the Copper River king, should be along in the next couple of weeks.  Rather than just take a picture of the final plated dish, I snapped some of the preparation steps as well.  I took some liberties with the original recipe above.  First, we chose not to have rice or potatoes and just enjoy the fish and asparagus.  The asparagus was grilled on the balcony with black pepper, sea salt flakes, and good olive oil instead of steamed.  Lastly, I put the sauce under the fish instead of pouring it over, just because Copper River salmon is so gorgeous!

A good friend who read the original post also took me to task for not including wine recommendations, so here goes.  Salmon With Pink Sauce can be paired with either red or white wine.  In the case of white, I recommend a full bodied chardonnay that can hold up to the strong flavors of both the salmon and the sauce.  If you got your bonus check recently, go straight for a white Burgundy like the 2005 Vincent Girardin Puligny Montrachet "Les Combettes."  Or, since we're talking Pacific Northwest seafood, stay local, save $80 or so, and pick the 2009 Domaine Drouhin "Arthur" Chardonnay.

If your taste runs to the reds, stay away from overly robust, alcoholic varietals like Cabernet or Syrah-based wines.  Pinot Noir is perfect.  Once again, if you feel like a splurge head for Burgundy.  Perhaps the 2005 Nicholas Potel Volnay 1er Cru "Santenots."  Following the same logic as the whites above, you can save a few bucks (OK, very few) and stay local, maybe with the 2007 Domaine Drouhin "Laurene" Pinot Noir from right here in Oregon.

And what did we drink last night?  Ahem...the  2005 Potel Volnay Santenots, I'm happy to report.

Cheers, all!