hashcapades

Wild Salmon Hash at Mother’s Bistro in Portland

Posted on Sunday, April 17th, 2011 at 6:57 pm.

Be Nice or Leave! That’s what the sign above the hostess station at Mother’s Bistro read. I reckon that’s how a mother would scold her kids, akin to: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Perhaps it reminds people to be patient because the wait for this iconic restaurant can be considerable. Fortunately, we had arrived early and helped form an orderly, if not under-caffeinated queue on a quiet Sunday morning. My friends, Cory, Mary, their son, Jesse, Doug, Connor and I were about to have the comfort food to end all comfort foods!

Mother says…

Chicken Curry & Potatoes with Mustard Seed Hash

Posted on Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 at 9:50 pm.

Written by Clark Haass

Before my potato hash obsession, I often thought of making ravioli filled with savory Indian dishes – Chicken Curry (Murgh Karee), Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) or another favorite, Potatoes with Mustard Seeds (Sookhi Bhaji). My head was filled with day dreams of the exotic ravioli magnate I would become, that is until Ratatouille’s evil mini-chef, Skinner, stole my idea!

Undeterred and now potato hash-manic, I kicked it into high gear to combine my love of Indian cuisine with a food ring presentation, inspired by last weekend’s stellar hashcapade at Hall Street Grill. Surely Madhur Jaffrey’s Sookhi Bhaji could anchor my culinary experiment at Chez Clark!

Chicken Curry & Potatoes with Mustard Seed Hash

Porkstrami Hash and Duck Confit Hash at Hall Street Grill in Beaverton

Posted on Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 at 1:34 pm.

Written by Clark Haass

I’m delighted to introduce Elizabeth Fuss, one of my twitter friends (@LizzyDishes), who graciously agreed to write this guest post! Her blog is already listed in my blog roll (Lizzy Dishes of Portland) because of her descriptive, artful and entertaining posts capturing her culinary adventures. Be sure to read her latest quest for the perfect use of duck eggs. Thank you, Liz!!!
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For my whole my life, until 2007, I didn’t eat seafood. It always tasted fishy and rubbery and smelled dreadfully unappealing. When I went with friends to seafood restaurants, I usually ordered a burger or some other type of non-seafood. Then, some friends and I ate at Hall Street Grill in Beaverton, Oregon, one night in March of 2007. I remember it clearly – I ordered butternut squash ravioli. The super-enthusiastic waitress said that I must absolutely order prawns with the ravioli because they just made the dish. The prawns weren’t on the menu and I had no idea how much they cost, but the waitress – she was convincing. And oh what a delight. I remember thinking that the prawns, juicy and pink, tasted like little steaks. No fishiness, no rubbery texture. It was heaven. And that was my first amazing experience with seafood. And with Hall Street Grill.

Hall Street Grill Dining Room

Clam Hash Patties

Posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 10:05 pm.

Written by Clark Haass

I’ve mentioned in a previous trivia hashcapade post that each region (or state) in the U.S. has different potato hash traditions. Whether it’s red flannel hash from New England or dirty rice from the South, the prevailing local bounty and cuisine can be transformed into potato hash. Whilst perusing the Internet the other day for interesting twists, I stumbled across Linda Beaulieu’s recipe for her Grandma’s Rhode Island hash! Two aspects caught my eye immediately: 1) the use of R.I. clams called “Quahogs” (Lisa thought it was close to the character Queequeg in Moby Dick!) and 2) the construction of potato hash into patties. With that as the backdrop, on to one of the simplest and most inexpensive hashcapades at Chez Clark.

Clams, taters and onion – simple!

Sausage Hash at Cafe Murrayhill in Tigard

Posted on Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 at 6:05 pm.

Written by Clark Haass

The majority of my hashcapades, excluding Chez Clark, of course, involve a commute from the Bethany area to downtown Portland. Today I wanted something close because 1) I was at Washington Square a.k.a. consumer-mania-ville and 2) my stomach wasn’t about to put up with any delay! Fortunately, I recalled Cafe Murrayhill was only minutes away off of SW Scholls Ferry and SW Murray, so off we went.

Cafe Murrayhill – A Hidden Gem in Suburbia

Cafe Murrayhill’s back section looks out on a fountain and blooming trees.

! Hashcapades

How to Build Your PDX Breakfast Cred

Wild Salmon Hash at Mother’s Bistro in Portland

Chicken Curry & Potatoes with Mustard Seed Hash

Porkstrami Hash and Duck Confit Hash at Hall Street Grill in Beaverton

Clam Hash Patties

Sausage Hash at Cafe Murrayhill in Tigard