Last weekend I traveled to Portland, Ore., for a bat mitzvah. It was a first for me, and it was moving. I had no idea of the preparation, study and practice that goes into this milestone event. Watching a young girl stand before her family, friends and congregation, carrying the weight of tradition and her own bright future, I felt honored to be in their presence.
There were proud adults wiping tears, a stirring presentation of the Torah and lively children diving under my seat for the traditionally tossed candy. A festive party came afterward, where we gathered with generations of the celebrating family to share delicious food, conversation, laughter and endless ice cream novelties, served from the cutest little truck ever.
The irony was not lost on me: I hadn’t been to Portland in five years, and suddenly I was there twice in one month. The first visit had been for a baby shower, so, within weeks, I witnessed both ends of the early-life spectrum — a celebration of a newly anticipated life (hosted by a dear friend, expecting her first grandchild) and another of sharing Jewish traditions from one generation to the next (another dear friend’s granddaughter).
I used to spend a lot of time in Portland. My oldest daughter went to college in the area (Forest Grove), and it was my connection city to board the Coast Starlight, the Amtrak train that snakes south to California. I used to design Oregon Food and Wine tours for Smithsonian Journeys that originated in Portland, and I’d spend days scouring the city to discover interesting food and wine facts and eateries that became personal favorites — including Wilf’s, the iconic restaurant in Union Station, which has been going strong for 50 years.
Another favorite is Huber’s, Portland’s oldest restaurant, where Spanish coffee is set aflame tableside and the turkey dinners have been a standby for more than a century (it’s always fried oysters for me). I went there on both of my recent visits, partly for nostalgia and partly because some traditions deserve to be kept alive.
Another tradition of mine is wandering grocery stores in far-flung locations. You know you’ve found your people when your Sandpoint friends suggest visiting Portland’s largest Asian market, and you light up like a child on Christmas morning. Off we went.
It was a challenge, with only a small carry-on (and my ever-present computer backpack) for the flight home. But that didn’t stop me from strolling through every single aisle, marveling at the rainbow of rice noodles, rows of sauces, neatly stacked pyramids of baby bok choy and other perfect greens. I eyed the barbecue ducks that hung in orderly rows, glistening with glaze, but there, practicality won out. Instead, I tucked kaffir lime leaves (indispensable for a good curry) into my basket, a few varieties of noodles and the prize of the day: a giant bag of baby bok choy.
By the time my friends dropped me at the airport, bags in hand, I’m sure they were grateful they didn’t have to witness the (produce) production that was my repacking. Let’s say the travelers around me got a good show as I shuffled, folded and squeezed those vegetables into my suitcase. I’m happy to report the bok choy survived the trip home, and even happier to report that it has starred in several dishes this week.
Bok choy is one of those perfect ingredients: versatile, nutritious and compatible with nearly anything you pair it with. Technically, it’s a type of Chinese cabbage, although it doesn’t resemble the round, green heads we’re accustomed to shredding every fall for sauerkraut. Its name means “white vegetable” in Cantonese, a nod to its pale stalks and spoon-shaped leaves.
Cultivated in China for more than 5,000 years, bok choy has traveled the world and earned its place in home kitchens far from its origins. The baby version, which I carried home like a treasure, cooks up especially tender and sweet.
The good news is you don’t need a trip to Portland’s Asian markets to bring some home. On my visit to our farmers’ market, I noticed a couple of vendor stalls stocked with baby bok choy. The season lingers a few more weeks, so now’s the time to grab a bundle or two.
At home, I’ve been slicing mine into ribbons and tossing it into stir-fries with ginger and sesame oil, folding it into noodle bowls. One night, I gently braised it in chicken broth with garlic, ginger and soy, and added some wontons. Each time I cook with it, I think back to that bustling Portland market, where the satisfaction of finding something both familiar and fresh is palpable.
Travel has always been about more than destinations for me — it’s about connections. Sometimes those connections are as profound as watching a young girl step proudly into her faith and heritage. Sometimes they’re as simple as filling your carry-on with vegetables and laughing at yourself as you squeeze them between your shoes and laptop. Both moments nourished me.
So if you find yourself at the farmers’ market this weekend, look for those sweet little bundles of bok choy and bring some home. Toss it in a hot pan with garlic, drizzle in some soy sauce and add a few shrimp. My recipe is easy.
Mazel tov, Ruthie.
Garlic-sesame shrimp with baby bok choy
Make this Asian-inspired dish vegetarian-friendly by using vegetable stock and extra veggies in place of the shrimp. Serve with a cold Riesling and wonton chips. If serving rice, begin cooking before you start the recipe. Both take about 20 minutes. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1 tbs soy sauce • 2 tsp sesame oil (divided) • 1 tbs vegetable oil • 4 cloves garlic, minced • ½ shallot, chopped fine • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated • ½ pound fresh sliced mushrooms • 1 pound baby bok choy, washed and halved lengthwise (or quartered if larger) • ¼ cup chicken broth • 1 tbs oyster sauce (omit for vegetarian) • Pinch of red pepper flakes • Sesame seeds, for garnish • Cooked jasmine rice or rice noodles, for serving
Directions:
In a bowl, toss shrimp with soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Marinate 10 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Cook shrimp until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Add garlic, shallot and ginger to the skillet; cook 30 seconds until fragrant, do not overcook the garlic! Add mushrooms, bok choy, broth, oyster sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry until mushrooms and bok choy are tender, 3-4 minutes.
Return shrimp, drizzle with remaining sesame oil and heat through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.
For extra sauce, mix 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice wine vinegar and 1 tbs of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water, blend well. Add with the mushrooms and bok choy and stir until thickened.
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