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The Soeseidelmantaerts: What’s in Your Fridge Friday?
PORTLAND, ORE. — Rachel and Russell Seidelman relocated to Portland two years ago from Kansas City, Mo., for the cool weather and laid-back biking culture (I couldn’t get them to “accidentally” stay in Austin when they stopped there on their cross-country journey to move out here).
I met Rachel when she was Rachel Soetaert in Spain, where we were both studying abroad from Mizzou. (When they got married a few years ago, Rachel and Russell joked that they were going to combine their vowel-filled last names into one: Soeseidelmantaert, thus the name of this post.) Turned out, her folks live in the same part of Missouri as mine, and our families have been intrinsically intertwined ever since.
Now she and Russell have made their home on the West coast, eating food grown in their own garden and from a CSA they just joined. They wear their hippie souls on their fridge shelves, with oat, hazelnut and almond milks next to reused tortilla bags full of lettuce and homemade pumpernickel bread. Don’t forget the freezer, which holds a dozen or so old tomato sauce jars full of blueberries Rachel picked last week on Sauvie Island.
What three things are always in your fridge? Bridgeport IPA, fresh fruit (particularly apples, “I mean Washington is next door,” says Rachel, a Missouri native.) Eggs.
What’s your favorite condiment? Tapatio
What’s your favorite late-night snack? Russell’s popcorn that he makes in his big stock pot, Rachel says, topped with melted butter.”There’s no kernels left in the bottom,” she says. “He makes the perfect popcorn. Perfectly salted and buttered, with butter melted in the toaster oven because we don’t have a microwave.” Served with grapefruit juice or apple juice.
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By mama
July 25, 2009 2:20 PM | Link to this
Love to see how you’re doing on your vacation! Rachel and Russell look very happy. Love the Widmer in the fridge. Glad to know the soesesidlemantaerts love it as well! Keep driving!!
By Amy Larsen
July 27, 2009 7:14 PM | Link to this
Just visited Russell and Rachel this summer and can confirm everything here! There were several plastic bags drying for resuse on the counter…and the lettuce was overflowing out back. Didn’t know they had joined a CSA (didn’t even know what a CSA was until reading here)…sounds cool. We also didn’t get any of Russell’s famous popcorn…sounds like something we’ll need to ask for in the future.
By Bigdaddio
July 28, 2009 5:27 PM | Link to this
What the hell? That’s a full six pack. I thought I raised my daughter better than that.
By Rachel's Mom
July 29, 2009 8:05 PM | Link to this
Notice how clean and neat that fridge is? Full 6 pack or not, I’m a proud mama!
By Sandy Seidelman
August 11, 2009 5:19 PM | Link to this
I am the other proud mama. Russell has always been an explorer and one to march to his own drum. His Dad comes from a Cezch backgroud and every Christmas makes Houska - a braided bread with almonds & raisins. He was most delighted when Russell and Rachel wanted to learn his technique in making the bread. Hopefully they will incorporate this family tradition into their home.