Last week, I went to Powell’s Books for a great talk by the authors of Oregon Wine + Food: The Cookbook. We’ll have some fun today exploring this wonderful new book.
The Authors
The book is written by Danielle Centoni and Kerry Newberry.
Danielle is a serious foodie. According to Google Books, she “is a James Beard Award-winning food editor and writer. Before moving to Portland, she was the food editor for the Oakland Tribune, where she covered food for The Oregonian. She was also the senior editor for Imbibe magazine and editor of Eater Portland. She develops recipes for brands and national publications, including Weber, Better Homes and Gardens, and is a regular freelance writer for The Kitchn, Rachael Ray Every Day magazine, EatingWell, and Bon Appetit. She is the co-author of Mother’s Best-Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again and The Sugar Cube, and the author of Portland Cooks.”
Kerry Newberry is a serious foodie. Google Books says that as a Portland-based writer, she “writes about food, wine, farming, and travel. She holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership for Sustainability from Portland State University and has studied with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Her writing has been featured in numerous publications, including Travel Oregon, Sunset, Edible Portland, The Oregonian’s MIX Magazine, Forbes, Fodor’s, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Wine & Spirits Magazine, and SIP Northwest. Her writing has been recognized with multiple awards and fellowships by Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Edible Communities, and the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. Kerry lives in Portland, Oregon.”
The Layout of Oregon Wine + Food: The Cookbook
The book has so much beautiful photography, it’s hard to choose a few favorite photos. The layout is quite beautiful. I like that after the intro, there’s a fact sheet on Oregon wines, followed by a timeline. The timeline covers meaningful people, places and moments in Oregon wine. Very cool
Next, we get into featured grape-growing regions. While 33 of the 40 wineries referenced in the book are in Willamette Valley, they talk about 12 other regions. Interestingly, they don’t talk about Walla Walla, which spills into Oregon but is considered a WA appellation.
After that, we get into the grape varieties, the wineries and the recipes. On the grape front, they only talk about eight grapes, four reds and four whites: Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
My Take on the Book
The book is beautiful beyond belief, and I can’t wait to use it to check out all the wineries they list.
But the recipes. They appear to be meant for true chefs. With the exception of maybe eight or nine recipes, I think I’m going to need to hire a chef to make the others. Wow! I’m truly impressed.
To learn more about Oregon food and wine, please check out Oregon Food + Wine: The Cookbook. You will not be disappointed.
