Enter the front door of my flat. Go up the stairs to the main level, but instead of taking a left into the living room, turn to the right and open the small door that looks like it might lead in to a closet, but actually hides a staircase. Climb that staircase - narrow, wooden, painted white with a red carpet track runner. At the top, open the door ahead of you and proceed in to the attic. Watch your head… follow the attic space down to the end - about 20 feet - and turn to your right. Grab the hatch in the roof with the big metal handle, and lift it upwards and away from you. Climb through the hole. And look around.

And that’s the view - a nice panorama from NNW to ESE, or thereabouts. On a clear day, you can see Mounts Hood, Adams and St. Helens, and you get a great view of the Fremont bridge irrespective of the weather. Click here to see a larger version. Please accept my apologies for the shoddy image stitching job.

The building containing my flat is in some ways like a mullet. All business in front (the business of looking like a nondescript Northwest Portland house) and all fun in the back. Maybe fun’s not quite the right word, but there are quite a few things going on in the back courtyard that you might not expect to see in this neighborhood. A huge and unruly vegetable garden. A greenhouse. A bee hive. And there are also chickens. The owner was putting the coop together when I moved in, and it is now complete (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he has ceased to work on it). Chickens are now in residence. But these are no ordinary chickens. These chickens are for change. And according to a sign that appeared on the coop yesterday (well out of public view), they are voting for Obama. Oregon has historically not been a tough battleground for Democratic presidential candidates. With the urban chicken vote squarely in hand, I think Barack can safely stay away from this state until November, and every once in a while toss the chickens platitudes from afar about pro-Vegetarianism and the importance of repealing the no-rooster laws that prevail within Portland city limits.

I recently moved to NW Portland, and my trusty Weber gas grill now resides on the back deck of my flat, right off the kitchen. I can already tell that it’s going to get a lot of use. First, there’s the sheer proximity to the kitchen proper, making a quick dash outside to check cooking status a very easy trip indeed. Second, my flatmate John is a professional cook. When he’s not turning out upscale border food for NW denizens, he is exploring his passion for Croatian cuisine. To inaugurate the Weber, he suggested a meal of Anchovies - not the heavily brined and oiled variety that are prepared with a can opener, but the fresh kind. They require more preparation, of course (starting with a careful gutting) but they are well worth the effort. Also, they are apparently a relatively unpopular choice down at the fish market, a fact reflected in the price. While “premium” choices like Ahi steaks and Coho fillets are currently fetching $20 or more per pound, a similar amount of fresh Anchovies can be had for $3.

To gut this delicate fish, a razor blade works well. Following a liberal seasoning with salt, pepper, rosemary and raw garlic, grill the Anchovies over low heat. Release the fish carefully from the grill with a fork when it’s time to flip. If you’re cooking in the Dalmation style, one of the rules of thumb is that there’s rarely such a thing as too much garlic. A sprinkling of fresh chopped garlic after plating kicked the fragrance and flavor into high gear.

This is definitely a fish best eaten with hands. It’s also a fish where you can decide how much of it you want to enjoy - not in terms of overall quantity, but in terms of anatomy. There’s lots of flavor in the head, for instance. Or if that’s not your style, pull off the head and then separate the fillets from the backbone with a gentle squeeze of the body and remove the backbone.

Enjoy with a pasta salad as shown here, or pair with your own favorite Mediterranean-style side dish. I found this to be a very energizing meal - the Omega 3 fatty acids and the garlic definitely contributed to my post-meal euphoria. Next time you’re looking for a fish to put on the grill, consider the Anchovy - small in size but big in character. And for now, very reasonably priced.

Is there a name for the condition where a blog goes neglected for a period of time by an otherwise well-intentioned author? There should be. I nominate ‘blogrot’. Fortunately, this condition is reversible. The main obstacles to creation of fresh content (a move, followed by a protracted dalliance with Comcast while trying to establish net service at my new residence) have been dealt with. The Comcast affair alone would have made excellent fodder for a fresh post - something on the importance of basic customer service tenets and their impact on brand perception. But that ground has been thoroughly farmed elsewhere. I’m just glad to be back up and running.