Leather Storrs, co-owner, chef and rooftop gardener at acclaimed East Burnside Street restaurant and wine bar Noble Rot in Portland, Oregon, doesn’t drink. Instead, Storrs opts to use cannabis to “relax and untangle the strings in [his] brain.” His culinary career runs the gamut from studying at the Culinary Institute of America and interning with chef Alice Waters, to opening a restaurant focused on the art and science of molecular gastronomy, to cooking a flank steak on an engine block for a win on Food Network’s “Extreme Chef” in 2011. It’s clear Storrs isn’t afraid to take risks in the kitchen. His latest foray into the world of cannabis cuisine is no different.
Last spring, Storrs was at Chris Angelus’ Portland Food Adventures event when he heard fellow foodies talking about cooking with cannabis. “People seem to just add [cannabis-] infused oil to regular recipes, but that’s not what I envisioned,” Storrs says. “I wanted to make it interesting, to elevate cannabis to the level of fine wine. I want to raise cannabis to a premium level of gastronomy; to turn the experience into an intellectual exercise on the plant. Like, ‘Does it add to the flavor? Is there synergy? Is the flavor layered and more complex as a result?’”
A fortuitous collaboration occurred at Portland Food Adventures’ June event. Natalia Toral is a food and cocktail aficionado whose passion lies in producing “cocktail-forward events.” Her goal in this project is to invite a “whole new demographic to love cannabis like they do wine and liquor.” Add Angel Teta, mixologist extraordinaire, and flower from cannabis producer 7 Points Oregon, and voilà! This collaboration marked the birth of the Kitchen Chronicles.
Despite cannabis’ legal status in Oregon, using it publicly is illegal. Add to the equation strict OLCC rules that prohibit cannabis and alcohol from being served at the same venue, and the Kitchen Chronicles was nearly dead in the water. The solution? The Kitchen Chronicles became a membership-based dining club, focused on a smaller, more intimate event at a new venue – a private residence in the West Hills.
It was then that the first chapter began, on a clear, crisp Sunday afternoon in November at 4:20 p.m. Guests were welcomed with a new twist on cocktails, a “Jilly Bean Apple,” which combined brandy, bourbon, bitters, cannabis tincture and cider, served in a carved-out apple and capped with a hollowed-out Bic pen, reminiscent of the good old days of apple pipes and sneaking a toke behind the garage with a friend in high school.
Storrs’ sense of humor came through in his fish-sauce Cracker Jack and albacore poke served on a Pringles crisp. Yes, a potato chip. He calls these hors d’oeuvres “Stoney Snacks” for obvious reasons. They were surprisingly delightful.
The menu listed each dish, the wine that it was paired with, strain details, and the strength of the cannabis in the course. This is a must when serving cannabis-infused foods. Ask anyone who ate a brownie that was stronger that they thought it would be. For an elegant touch, they added a loaded vape pen in front of each place setting. Vape pens are mostly innocuous, perfect for indoor events.
The five-course meal that followed was nothing short of spectacular, starting off with Walker Sour Salmon. Beautifully plated, the fish had been cured in cannabis tincture, verbena, lemon leaf and lemongrass, and served over light greens from Leather’s rooftop garden at Noble Rot. Tangy, with hints of lemon and earth, this dish was paired perfectly with a light, balanced Riesling.
The Dr. Who Wild Mushrooms were a delectable blend of stalk-smoked chanterelle and oyster mushrooms served over pureed cauliflower and fried garlic, with strain-specific (Dr. Who) oil to drizzle on top as desired and paired with an earthy pinot noir.
Each dish was unique and featured some part of the cannabis plant in an out-of-the-box way. As the evening progressed and we all savored the beautiful meal, Storrs proudly observed, “I want to elevate the experience for cannabis users…to highlight the distinct essences of the plant: from floral to musky, like with the Cherry Pie Short Ribs. These were brined for two days in Cherry Pie stems and leaves. I am fired up about food and what cannabis can add to food. Cannabis is not just for stoners.”
7 Points Oregon Mission Statement:
Our mission is to cultivate the purest, most beneficially rich cannabis flowers and concentrates in the industry. Attention to detail, a nourishing environment and a commitment to using pure, organic and veganic nutrients, as well as never spraying our flowers with non-organic chemicals, is our approach to providing products that are free from heavy metals and toxins. With patients in mind, we employ experience, professionalism, and cutting-edge knowledge to create the best possible experience.
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