My brother made me dinner..

Breaded and fried eggplant, vegan mozzerella, multigrain and flax spaghetti and (my) homemade basil marinara.  

As I previously mentioned, my younger brother Rick came to Portland this week to get away from New York for a while.  Naturally, I welcomed him - he's my only brother and I've only seen him a few times in the past 4 years I've been in Portland, and before that I was at college in Boston.  

I have asked that he only eat and cook vegetarian and vegan while in my apartment, and so far he's been specifying vegan.  Prior to his visit, I think my brother did consider Portland to be some type of vegan commune 

out in the woods in Oregon.   

So, I'm looking forward to taking him around, which will of course include some excellent vegan food in Stumptown.  Tonight we're meeting some of my friends at Hoda's for his first Lebanese restaurant experience.  

And as the title implies, last night I came home and he plated this dinner the minute I walked in the door.  He raved about the marinara and said it tasted like the one our mom used to make and let simmer all day, years and years and years ago.  Granted I never ate that, as I was a no-tomato-sauce eating freak from 7-20 or so.  It grossed me out and I stuck to white pizza as a young vegetarian.

Chef Rick.  He's named after you know who in Casablanca.

It was a fantastic meal.

This weekend we're going to the Portland Nursery's Apple Tasting!  You know, if he's up for the celebration of fruit.