If there’s a piece of advice I could give someone who wants to tackle a recipe from a local Portland chef, it would be this: Read the entire recipe well in advance.
Our town of artisans really Little Red Hens it, in that often every element of a recipe involves at least three preliminary steps—like making the aioli that goes into the dressing that goes on a salad that has components that need at least a week to cure.
That’s how we know it’s good. But don’t let it daunt you: Feel free to cut corners (buy mayo and avoid crying over failed aioli emulsions) or just steal pieces to use for other things. In recent months, a trio of drool-worthy cookbooks has launched, ranked here from the most newbie-friendly to the most sous chef-y.