You guys, I am super stocked to finally attend Feast Portland this year. It’s next weekend and I am getting excited to eat some incredible food and taste different cuisines and have some tasty drinks as well. This is the 5th year that Feast is happening in Portland and I get to be there, finally… SO EXCITED. I’ll be putting on my stretchy pants and walk off the food as much as possible during the events. And most likely will need to do a cleanse after, to survive, but it will be all worth it, for sure.
I am pretty excited for the Sandwich Invitational event on thursday evening… I mean come on sandwiches are the best. There will be 15 Top chefs with no rules and a sandwich showdown. They suited up 15 of the best chefs in the country and they’re ready to stuff any idea possible between two slices of bread – even when the idea of “bread” is left to wild interpretation. Old school meets new school at the ultimate libation-fueled party with craft brews. Yes, please!
Check out some of the lovely photos from last years Feast event. And I can’t wait to share my photos after the event and during the event I will be posting on my IG, Face Book Twitter and Snapchat account LENASKITCHEN, so follow me along for some good stuff.
Photo credits of both images to Aubriele Gault from the sandwich invitational.
Here is a little info about Feast, directly from their website directly :
Feast Portland is more than a food and drink festival. It’s a movement that showcases the energy, creativity and enthusiasm that’s driving America’s food revolution while celebrating the culinary world’s most inspiring places: Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. From spirited one-of-a-kind large-scale events featuring trendsetting chefs from all over the country, to intimate hands-on classes, collaborative dinners and panels, Feast offers some of the most compelling experiences and original programming in the modern food festival conversation.
Photo front the Night market photo credit to Brooke Bass
Feast Portland is proud to support charities working to end childhood hunger in Oregon and across the country. Since its inception in 2012, Feast has donated more than $230,000 to charity. Feast Portland’s sole charitable partner in 2016 is Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.
Entering its fifth year, Feast Portland has been called “the best food festival in the country” by Thrillist National, the “food festival to beat” by Tasting Tableand applauded by local and national media alike, including USA Today,Serious Eats, Eater National, The Wall Street Journal, Food Republic, New York Post, Forbes and The Oregonian, and named among Fodor’s Travel North America’s Top 15 Food Festivals for being “done to such perfection you’d think one of the Pacific Coast’s biggest-catch food events was in its 30th year.”
Photo credit to Eva Kosmas Flores
See you guys there, if you want to meet up and eat together, let’s do it. Shoot me an email.
xoxo,
LENA
This fall weather has me feeling all sorts of good feelings these days. It’s now the end of summer, school began 2 weeks ago and the weather has been getting a bit chilly. But, I am excited to cozy up by the fire, wear sweaters and boots, watch the leaves change outside. One of the best things about fall coming is turning on the oven to cook our dinners at home to make the house smell good and feel cozy too. I’m kind of obsessed with these mini chicken pot pies. They taste like the ultimate comfort food and are the perfect meal to have on-hand when you only need one serving at a time or you are feeding your family.
Easy meals have been my go to lately with school starting up again. I like to keep a few packages of the Private Selection Gnocchi in my pasta drawer, you can find them in the pasta isle at Fred Meyers
You can’t beat a one pan dinner that is on the table in no time! This one pan pasta with asparagus, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and prosciutto is easy and flavorful. A pasta dinner that is sure to go on repeat in our house, especially with school starting next week. 
One of my favorite treats to make for my kids are waffles, and I don’t only make them for breakfast, sometimes it’s an after dinner treat. I decided to kick these up a few notches and make them special. I added some really good quality cocoa powder and my favorite spice, cardamon. 
Lately I have been trying to keep our meals during the week quick and simple for my family. This simple pop tart recipe is easy to make and fun to involve kids too. I always keep a box or two of frozen puff pastry in my freezer for last minute meal ideas like this pop tart recipe. This is also a great appetizer idea when last minute guests come to visit or you need to go to a party and bring something tasty with you. 
One of my favorite things as a chef, host and a creative has always been gathering people around a table and sharing good food with them. I am super excited to do that with you again this year. Looking forward to start off the season for my Supper Clubs and host you around a table and serve you great food. 
Let’s talk tapas today. Most people agree that tapas are snacks, canapés or small plates that originate in Spain. But many don’t realize that tapas come in many different forms and can vary greatly throughout Spain, even from town to town!