Dear Helen: I’m in my 70s and reasonably well off. I don’t have family whom I feel a need to subsidize with my assets after my demise. I’m not a grinch, but the mishpoche are already well off. I’ve begun thinking about death more lately, after a brush with cancer. I am in remission and…
Just in time for winter comes this delectable collection of root vegetable recipes from Portland cookbook author Diane Morgan. The award-winning writer has assembled a comprehensive guide to these hearty vegetables that nourish our bodies and souls. Inspired by the cooking of her Jewish grandparents, she forges connections between her heritage and the cuisines of…
Portland is justly famous for its food culture, particularly its emphasis on local and sustainably produced foods. But Portland is also notable for something fewer residents know about: the number of cooperatively owned businesses that make their home here. According to a directory listing of cooperatives on the People’s Food Co-op website, Portland has more…
After two weeks of twice the average rainfall at the end of October, early November’s balmy weather inspired some women at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland to have a little fun with fashion. In a city known for individual style, three of the women showcased diverse tastes that reflected their individual outlooks. Israeli shlicha…
Joanne Kryszek, who co-owns Chocosphere with her husband, Jerry, never liked chocolate as a child. But when a friend brought her a Côte d’Or milk chocolate bar from Belgium, she had an epiphany: “This chocolate was different. It just changed my mind completely about chocolate.” After a while, Joanne’s friend stopped traveling to Europe, but…
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights starting on the 25th day of Kislev, which may fall from late November to late December. Hanukkah usually falls somewhere near that other little holiday known as Christmas, but not this year. This year Hanukkah begins the evening of Dec. 8 and ends Dec. 16. For me that means…
Movement has always been important to former dancer and choreographer Jacqueline Rubinstein. After she pinched a nerve in her neck, her focus shifted to movement that would alleviate rather than aggravate pain. She discovered the Feldenkrais Method developed by Moshe Feldenkrais initially to treat his own debilitating pain from a knee injury that doctors told…
Even though Thanksgiving isn’t a religious holiday, foodies like me think it is pretty close. I look forward to coming up with the menu for our Thanksgiving feast every year. As soon as the leaves begin to turn, I start poring through articles and recipes, trying to put a new spin on this holiday’s meal….
Walking into Mama Mia Trattoria, customers are immediately transported into the Old World. Sparkling chandeliers hang from the ceiling, flasks of extra-virgin olive oil grace the marble tables and the aroma of simmering meatballs fills the air. Restaurateur Barry Brown, who owns and manages the restaurant with his son Jared, has modeled it after classic…
Oh, the chores that need doing before winter’s rains drive us all indoors! You’ll find myriad lists of button-up-the-garden suggestions this season in magazines, newspapers and online. Three things top my fall must-do list, because they make the biggest impact: planting, mulching and baiting for slugs. Planting: In the Northwest, fall is far superior to…
