Memories and Inspiration
I woke from a vivid dream a few nights ago and the feeling of it is still palpable days later. You know the sort of dream, the one where you can actually smell what was cooking or feel the breeze on your skin, even after waking. In this dream I was with my friend, traveling down the Oregon Coast and we made camp and were cooking pancakes for dinner, light, creamy, citrusy lemon ricotta pancakes.
As with most dreams, it didn’t make a lot of sense. Yes, I have traveled down the Oregon Coast several times, with different people. But I’ve never made pancakes for dinner, and I’ve never made this sort of pancake in my life…although, I have eaten them. I love Oregon, the coast, with it’s epic ocean views and big trees, Bend with beautiful hikes along the Deschutes River and, of course, Portland, with it’s food and beer culture. I love the PNW, probably because I was born and raised here. I love the salty air, the foggy mornings and being on a road that can end anywhere or everywhere.
I guess my brain is just feeling like it needs a holiday and sent me some olfactory inspiration to get myself creating on a Sunday morning. The pancakes in question were actually a brunch item that I first had in Bend, while on a return leg of a road trip into Northern California. Locals in Bend are friendly and proud of their local fare, and they are more than willing to give you some “in the know” suggestions for dining. A couple flights in along the Brewery Trail we were lucky enough to share a table with two such lovelies, who raved about their favorite breakfast spot.
McKay Cottage is a historic bungalow, near the Deschutes River that was built in 1916. Originally it was home to one of Oregon’s pioneer families but has since been converted into a quaint and popular breakfast and lunch spot. I’m a big breakfast fan. I can safely say that it is probably my favorite meal of the day. I love the variety of choices, from sweet to savory. I generally choose something egg-centric, an omelette or eggs Benny, avocado toast with a poached egg or some sort of skillet. On this particular morning I broke from tradition because I saw that they had a pancake on the menu that I had never seen before, lemon ricotta, with berries and syrup…the thought appealed to me, especially with a side of crispy bacon. Maybe it was the summer air or the mere feeling of being in holiday mode but I had to try.
The front lawn had been converted into an open air dining room for the season and we were seated under a huge willow tree, near some flowering shrubs. The morning was warm and there was a hum in the air from the bees visiting the flowers nearby. We sat, sipping strong coffee and planning our route, our hunger building in a most enticing way. Breakfast arrived and the aroma of the citrus wafted up eliciting a ravenous growl from my stomach (camping hunger really is the best hunger!). The texture was light and fluffy, almost melt in your mouth, the creaminess of the ricotta blending perfectly with the tang of the lemon zest and the pop of the sweet blueberries on top. They were a revelation! I was determined to find them again, once we returned home to Vancouver. Sadly, I’ve never found them in a restaurant at home. I was lucky enough to find them on a menu in Portland a couple years ago, though.
Before we head out of town, my friend Jenn and I always research our food and drink experiences. If you’re going to Portland for a long weekend you really have to plan ahead to get the best dining adventures in, if you’re short on time. Much like Vancouver, Portland loves to brunch and lineups can be pretty lengthy, particularly if the spot is well known for good food. Tasty N Alder was just that kind of spot. The now defunct brunch spot served up a little bite of heaven in these more appetizer sized pancakes. Less meal, more accompaniment, they were no less miraculous. Pillowy, velvety, with the slight savoriness of the mild cheese and topped with a rich blueberry compote. We teamed them with an omelette, spicy sausage and potatoes, all meant to be shared, family style. I’ll be sad to miss out on this genuinely inventive, fresh and local fare when I head to Portland again. You will be missed, Tasty.
I feel like I have digressed, lost myself in my own sensory travels back to “before times”, happier and more adventurous times. But I guess that’s the point of this post, you can call it back through a smell or a taste. It’s that feeling you have when you have your grandmothers’s soup or your mom’s fresh baked Raisin Bran muffins…all of a sudden you’re home again, back in that kitchen where there’s nothing to worry about except filling yourself up with all that love. So, on this Sunday morning I am sending a little love out my own way with a little slice of pancake heaven. And, if I do say so myself, they are almost as good as on that warm, sunny summer day, under the shade of the willow tree.
