Our Recipes

Our friend at the flower market who grows the calla lilies for our shop in Portland also has 40 chickens. Every year over the winter, as the pluvial Pacific Northwest endures its onslaught of alternating grey darkness and dark greyness, the birds more or less give up egg laying altogether. Stubborn about our eggs, we more or less give them up too, and the resulting drought of omelets, frittatas, aiolis, caesar salads, mayonnaises, pound cakes, and pisco sours is one of the greatest hardships of winter. Come spring, however, the chickens kick into gear and produce cartons upon cartons of bug-fed eggs with lovely brown-speckled shells and yolks the color of radioactive apricots. If you have good eggs, consider the following deviled eggs recipe. The chile in this recipe will give them a little kick, while the Black Diamond sea salt (a Cypriot flake salt infused with activated charcoal) provides jaunty contrast with the yolks as well as an incredibly satisfying, potato chip-like crunch of pungent salt. Serves 4 people Ingredients: 4 eggs Sel gris to taste 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (see recipe) 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard 1 small chile, pequin or piri piri, seeds removed, finely chopped 2 pinches Black Diamond flake salt Put eggs in small pot. Cover with cold water. Add a handful of sel gris, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook the eggs for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for 12 minutes. By "cooking" the eggs off the heat you insure that the protein in the yolk and white will set up gradually. The results will be creamy and pristine, without a trace of sulfur-green surrounding the yolks, a common problem when hard-cooked eggs are overcooked. Drain and cool the eggs under cold running water, and refrigerate. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, dipping the knife into a bowl of water before every cut. Remove the yolks to a small mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and chile and mix until fluffy. Fill the hollow of each egg half with the yolk mixture and sprinkle with Black Diamond flake salt. Serve within 30 minutes.

Back in 2009 I was walking by a movie theater down by Canal Street in the rain. With nothing better to do I walked in, sat down, and watched “I Am Love.” Then there was the love scene amidst wildflowers. And that was that. The scene with Tilda Swinton eating prawns is surely the most remarkable piece of food porn ever put to cellulose. Ever since then I’ve had a fantasy of mixing a drink for Tilda Swinton. This would be the drink I’d make for her. Serves 2 (you and your love) 5 ounces gin (Tanqueray or Freeland) 1 ½ ounces Maraschino liqueur 4 dashes Portland Bitters Project Lavender bitters 12 drops rose water 2 Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, for garnish Pour everything but the cherries over ice in a chilled mixing glass. Stir steadily until the desired dilution is reached: about 15 seconds if using ice from a bucket or 30 seconds if using ice straight from the freezer. Strain into chilled martini or coupe glasses. Garnish with the cherries. Cheers!Mark Recipe adapted from Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters & Amari

Another way to experience the power and revel in the versatility of chocolate is to drink it. The history of drinking chocolate dates back to the deepest shadows of pre-civilization; for hundreds of years, and possibly for thousands, French, Spanish, Aztecs, and Olmecs have consumed it as a drink. When melted down, superbly crafted dark chocolate reaches its fullest expression. It is complex and stimulating; an entire jungle of Theobroma cacao chocolate trees spring up from your taste buds, revealing before you unexpected textural dimensions and infinitely varied flavors.

Cubanos are usually encased in foil prior to grilling and pressing— it helps to keep the edges from crumbling and falling away. But when you’re grilling between hot salt bricks, wrapping is counterproductive. The bread toasts up beautifully, with the moisture lurking in the butter that’s slathered on picking up just enough salt to push flavor into this sandwich from the outside in. The effect is not unlike an explosion, a Cubano supernova.   Cubanos are usually encased in foil prior to grilling and pressing— it helps to keep the edges from crumbling and falling away. But when you’re grilling between hot salt blocks, wrapping is counterproductive. The bread toasts up beautifully, with the moisture lurking in the butter that’s slathered on picking up just enough salt to push flavor into this sandwich from the outside in. The effect is not unlike an explosion, a Cubano supernova. Serves 4 hungry people Ingredients: 4 salt bricks 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 loaf Cuban (or Italian) bread, halved lengthwise 1/4 cup yellow mustard 12 ounces thinly sliced boiled ham 12 ounces thinly sliced roasted pork 8 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese 1 large dill pickle, thinly sliced lengthwise 1/2 cup mojo   Half an hour before you are ready to start grilling, put the salt blocks on an unheated gas grill. Heat the grill to low, cover the grill, and warm the blocks for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and wait another 10 minutes. Raise it to high and wait another 10 minutes. A laser thermometer aimed at the center of a block should register around 450°F. If using charcoal, bank a chimney of red-hot charcoal briquettes to one side of the firebox. Put the blocks on the grill grate away from the fire and cover the grill. In 20 minutes, using grill gloves, move the blocks so that they are over the coals. In 10 minutes, your blocks will be 450°F and ready for grilling.Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter on one half of the loaf and the mustard on the other half. Make layers of ham, pork, cheese, and pickles on the buttered half; top with the mustard-spread half. Use both hands to press down on the sandwich to flatten it slightly. Smear the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter all over the outside. Using grill gloves, arrange 2 blocks end to end. Put the sandwich on the blocks and top with the other 2 bricks, pressing them down to balance them on top of the sandwich. Cover the grill and grill for about 10 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted. Remove the sandwich to a cutting board and cut on an angle into 8 thick slices. Serve with mojo for dipping. Enjoy! Original recipe from Mark Bitterman's Salt Block Grilling - Grab your copy and get grilling!

Our Black Diamond Flake Salt works beautifully on dishes where a little visual and textural pizzazz is desired, such as on top of soups, grilled asparagus, and more. The deep, dark obsidian pyramidal crystals are very large and provide a nice toothsome crunch that makes for a marvelous counterpoint in texture on these enchiladas. Its raven color brings delightful contrast to a dish lighter in color and is sure to elicit an exclamation from your guests. Try it!