The lodge at the top of the falls is gorgeous. I enjoyed some time in their spa getting a pumpkin scented massage! A-MAY-ZING! So relaxing. The next day we kicked around Seattle, and ended the day with a long hike in Forest Park back in Portland and carved our Halloween pumpkins that evening.
Carving pumpkins: not my strong suit.
I've been itching to cook up an Asian feast lately, but it's so hard to find certain far eastern ingredients in standard grocery stores. I discovered my new favorite store- Fubonn. It's located in Portland's Asian district (no, not Chinatown. This is located on SE 82nd ave between Division and Powell). It's AWESOME. I honestly felt like I was back in China or Vietnam when I was browsing the aisles and didn't hear a word of English. You've GOT to go here! The meat counter has everything from pig's tongue to Korean short ribs. The frozen section is abundant with dozens and dozens of varieties of pot-stickers and dumplings. My goal was to find a good fish sauce, and I left with over a basket full of items. Here's what I made last night...
Vermicelli in Peanut Sauce
8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
Juice of two limes
Splash of fish sauce
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs vegetable or canola oil
3 Tbs peanut butter (I prefer crunchy!)
1 red bell pepper, julienned
3/4 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and peanut butter in a sauce pan over low heat until warm. Add the cooked noodles, bell pepper, and scallions to pan, stir to coat.
3. Transfer noodle mixture to a bowl and mix in herbs. Serve topped with peanuts!
