It’s that time of year when we run “fooku”, Portland Food and Drink’s annual food haiku contest. We’ve partnered with a new sponsor this year. The winner will receive two tickets to the Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, April 27th, a $150 value. This doesn’t leave much time, so sharpen your pencils and get to work! Check out past winners below, they are wonderful reading.
The rules are pretty simple. It must be in haiku format. The ancient art of haiku requires precision: a five syllable first line; seven syllable second line; and five syllable third line. The best haiku features a final line that works like a friendly elbow in the ribs. We only ask that the haiku be about food or wine. Bonus points if it is about wine in Portland.
We’ll collect entries for 7 days and choose the winners on Friday night. Everyone have fun with it! Please leave your entries in the comments.
Some winners from the past few years:
2008
By MySwanDive:
inhale swirls of cab
palate warmed, bask in the fire
newly lit like me
By Zac Stafford:
He cooked with passion.
The real reason we broke up?
Knives in dishwasher
2007
By CookForHire:
sound of meat browning
feel of knife through vegetable:
a true cook’s reward
By Womby:
at last, no jacket
instead, i grab sunglasses
soon come the favas
By Truth:
airy is the crumb
earthy, this crust of Pearl
heavenly, the smell
2006
By Fathom:
Now forego the fork
Hold close this slice of heaven
Perfect on a crust
By Pam:
Champagne, strawberries
and you, here in my warm bed.
Who cares if it rains?
By Witzend:
How bad could it be?
Real bad. Think Hung Far Low bad.
Ok, fine! YOU choose.
With a passion to fight childhood hunger, Portland’s best restaurants, wineries, breweries and mixologists will gather for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, the city’s premier culinary benefit. This event will raise critical funds needed to support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in Oregon and across the nation.
More than 50 of the city’s finest chefs and restaurants will participate in the gastronomic affair. Some of the incredible restaurants participating in this year’s event are Paley’s Place, The Country Cat, Firehouse, Andina, Baker & Spice, East India Company, DOC, FlavourSpot. Guests will enjoy the city’s finest foods paired with wines provided by Carabella Winery, Elk Cove Vineyard, Foris Winery and Argyle Winery, as well as offerings from SakeOne, Full Sail Brewing Co, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Aviation Gin, Finlandia Vodka and coffee from Caffe Umbria.
Proceeds in part go to several local beneficiaries that help to end childhood hunger:
Oregon Food Bank
Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank
St. Vincent de Paul Food Recovery Program
The Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force
chicken turns slowly
burning wood La Vera style
my Firehouse, my love.
Resist temptation
For cheffy masturbation
Hen’s eggs not for me.
stumptown? more than joe?
food in the land of bridges
might just satiate.
Lookee! Another
restaurant has closed once more.
I blame ______*.
*Obama
*The Food Dude
*Portlanders
*parking tolls
*poor people
*foie hippies
*the Left Wing
*the frugal
*going Galt
*Carlton Farms
*Old Europe
*New Europe
*Ayn Rand’s corpse
*corn syrup
*Beau Breedlove
super super super genius.
“Ayn Rand’s corpse”!
(This is not an attempt at haiku)
I am sorry, I simply need to blog your response, Senor Pollo Elastico
definitely beau breedlove.
Pop! of cork
Rush of sweet red grapes
Headiness
Mono Sodium,
The Foodie King will Instruct,
Glutamate, Knows all!
Bacon, just one time
Crispy belly…so devine
At your place or mine?
Thyme lingers in air ,
tippy-toes on the wood floor.
“Mom, is it done yet?”
How to prepare this
Seitan? Tastes like brined rubber.
Lord, a worthy foe.
Seitan is my least favorite of the meat subs but I have made a Seitan stroganoff that wasn’t too bad.
Passion on the vines
Portland’s got the best of wines
Try them, it’s divine
Oh Portland I love
your food, so fresh and tasty —
Suck it, Seattle.
Quick is not my drink
In a glass I find my home
Oh to be a grape again
Recession hit hard
Won’t give up my pinot noir
My kids are starving.
Springtime in Portland.
Lunches on the patio.
Drunk before dinner.
Oregonian’s
restaurantof the year is
Kenny and Zuke’s, no?
oysters big as shoes
chardonnay I like to drink
eating is sexy
I stay up all night
to hit Ken’s first croissant batch,
Farmer’s Market; bed.
Where to eat tonight?
Local and sustainable.
Anywhere in town!
macaroons from Pix
are better than most in France
I just ate seven
drinking gourmet booze
that’s distilled right down the road
hangover glamour
May I submit a few bacon-related entries on behalf of New Deal Distillery’s Matthew VanWinkle?
bacon in my pan
greasy joy to fill my heart
please call 911
I wrap the hose tight
bacon grease to fill my veins
a hot shot indeed
food carts open shop
hungry downtown lunchers flock
what to try today?
sausage king am I
porky goodness is the best
mm bratwurst baby
Vegans are the best
never eating any meat
So much more for me
Drunk on P-town’s wine
I don’t know what I’m saying
Sorry ’bout last night
Tiny little grape
Brimming with such potential
Baby, get me drunk
your greyhound is old
it’s time for a new mixer
inspiration here
Bounty of winter
Mustard greens in the garden
In pasta? Why not?
Oh, my sweet Stumptown
Mr. Coffee, timer set!
What?!? We’re out of cream?!?
Daughter, eat your greens!
Momma slaved over hot stove,
Headache? I think not….
Tapas abound me
Small plates of savory bites
Paired with sweet rosé
She giggled and stared
at the long uncut member
her first geoduck
Taste delicious food
Share your strength with hungry kids
Taste of the Nation
We met in A.A.
I made sumptuous quick bread
The day she dumped me
Morning coffee brews
Melting butter on warm toast
The furnace kicks in
Garden in the back
Stainless pots and cutlery
Any chef’s wet dream!
Speck carbonara
sweet peas, garlic green, melon
fare, ergo I go.
(melon = the wine, not the fruit)
Don’t care what’s in ‘em
I would drink their bath water.
My love’s name? Hot Dog.
Asparagus soup
So creamy and rich
But foul smelling pee
Sun shines, nice rare view
Sip my Elk Cove Pinot Gris
Look, over there, Mt. Hood!
correction
Sun shines, nice rare view
Sip my Elk Cove Pinot Gris
There I see Mt. Hood!
Something’s wrong tonight
Drinks served, anxious wait, no meal
Kitchen staff walk-out
Meals in a lifetime
Countless, all prepared by mom
Now son wears white toque!
Oh thy fragrant bulb
Roasted, squeezed on my pizza
Garlic equals life
Farmer to my table
Fresh taste lingers on palate
Long after market
Recession cooking
Fava beans trump caviar
Share my Two Buck Chuck.
Farmers Market says
“No dogs this year.” May I bring
Spot, my truffle pig?
bacon in my pan
greasy joy to fill my heart
please call 911
mister wine steward,
which of these on this list is
best paired with bacon?
sip. swirl. sniff. enjoy.
ah, that Oregon Pinot
hope you have credit
my stimulus plan
food carts and happy hours
repeat as needed
Portland obsession
pork in the South is old news
clogging arteries!
OK, this isn’t a haiku, but more of a question. I thought Oregon was a 2 syllable word, but some folks seem to be using it as a 3 syllable word. General consensus?
Three. I’m a native. I’ve never heard anyone make it two.
how would it be 2? OR-GUN?
its 3 OR-E-GON
Yeah I guess you’re right! I was thinking you just kind of skip over the E but that would not sound right.
Portland streets at night:
A million lights guiding me
to the perfect meal
Force-fed ducks and geese
PETA the pumpkin eater
not very happy.
Ramps, morels, favas
Spring market at its finest
Risotto pot please!
Cheese, Rouge River Blue
Wine, O’Reillys Pinot Noir
Hungry, anyone?
I hope you mean Rogue River.
And yes, I’m getting hungry!
Correction:
Cheese, Rogue River Blue
Wine, O’Reillys Pinot Noir
Hungry, anyone?
Lord I hate this crap
No more haikus I beg you
Please let it stop now
cheeseteaks on the tracks
angels work the smokey grill
hail amoroso!
our love of pinot
was not enough to save us
he would not eat meat
Cured seven days cold,
Roasting hour; rousing perfume,
Embrace bacon love.
Two sleepless nights, why,
I always forget the rise,
Sourdough mornings.
Lights on Willamette,
Sipping a vintage at Rot,
Behold my city.
Foie, lobster, truffles?
Big Macs, franks and Frito pie?
All comes out the same.
umeboshi, oh
she’s so shiso briny, sour
enigmatic you
beautiful
wonderful gonad
spiny pate of the sea
palette coating joy
Wild cravings drive me
Twelfth and Hawthorne, 3 A.M.
Extra cheese curds, please
Perfect pizza bliss
From Ken’s fiery wood oven
Hour wait?! forget it.
Portland needs to know:
can you eat too much poutine?
I’ll investigate.
I’m awake all night
Can’t stop making up haiku
Food Dude, I blame you
sunday bed hungry
taste of nation could feed me
there is always hope
salted cuke one day
bubbled away for a week
what fine sour surprise
Red, yellow, brown, green
Sharp blade, hot pan, fleur de sel
Back to nature, man!
Reading these haikus
Excluding the BLT
Bacon jumped the shark
THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
All haiku are being checked for the proper number of syllables. Dictionary.com is being used when there is any doubt. The remaining entries will be sent to the judges Friday morning. I hope to have the results in Friday night.
Thanks for participating!!
That 5-7-5 rule is not so hard and fast. I wouldn’t eliminate any for bending it a little.
Now any that rhyme, that’s another story. Summary DQ!