Oxley Gin

Oxley is a classic English dry gin that distinguishes itself by being cold-distilled. That means that instead of the botanicals being cooked into the mix they're infused cold, so they keep their true, raw flavors. It's subtle, with flavors of lemon peel and meadowsweet. I think it would be best in simple drinks that let the gin's notes shine, like a really dry martini with a twist. It's so citrusy and crisp that I think it would be fun to mess around with lemons and herbs too, but that could also overwhelm it unless you used a very light hand. Oxley Gin is being rolled out in the States slowly. Portland is one of its first markets. I like that it is a clean gin and not too loud.

Spaghetti

Sometimes you need comfort food. Yummy, cheap, predictable.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

1 onion
2 carrots
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 to 1 lb bulk sausage or ground beef
parmesan or other cheese
spaghetti or other noodles

1. Chop onion and carrots.
2. Sautee veggies and meat (either in the same pan or two pans). Meanwhile, boil water and cook noodles.
3. Add sauce to veggies and meat and cook until hot.
4. Top noodles with sauce and cheese.

This makes a lot of sauce. You can freeze some of it.

Blatant Self-Promotion

I have a piece up on Culinate! I'm so excited to be featured on this tasty and thought-provoking site, in the company of some fantastic writers and cooks. I wrote about the "Asian slaw" I bring to potlucks that people seem to like a lot. I also have a (totally non-food-related) story in the March issue of Portland Monthly. It involves the mysterious inner workings of Swan Island. You can pick up the magazine currently on the stands, or view the story online.