Essential Strawberry-Balsamic Reduction™

A Small Step Guide to Helping Flavor Be More of Itself

I like flavors that hide in plain sight.

Never having been able to (and not expending much energy toward) overcoming my purist attraction for single flavors, I'm all about creating an inobvious mystery to the sweet and savory desserts and appetizers we produce at Essential Confection.

My other preoccupation is texture.

Texture that seeps into my marrow. And stays there. Closed eyes texture. My favorite way to get there is low-slow baking. I'm pretty sure it improves everything.

It's early, early spring, and if sheer will to bring fruit to market were sufficient, it would have been here two weeks ago. This week my partner, Paul, and I had clandestine knowledge that the first Day-Neutral strawberries may make a covert appearance at our local farmer's market. The Mother of All Farmers Markets. On the campus of Portland State University.