Off Menu:
Fall Feasting with Lane
When we started planning this issue around feasting and gathering, we knew we wanted to talk to someone who approaches hosting with equal parts joy, practicality, and zero interest in doing things “the traditional way.”
Enter Lane Selman, founder of the Culinary Breeding Network and local patron saint of all things chicory—especially radicchio. She’s the driving force behind the Sagra del Radicchio, Portland’s annual celebration of the bitter and beautiful, and our partner in Tomatofest, that late-summer ode to peak-season produce.
Lane grew up in a deeply Italian-American citrus-farming family in Florida, where food was loud, seasonal, and unapologetically abundant. Today, she channels that same energy into her Portland home: a citrus-lined backyard built for long tables and even longer meals, lasagna instead of turkey, and an insistence that the best gatherings start with a massive crudités board and plenty of wine.
We sat down with Lane earlier this year to talk about holiday traditions, hosting philosophies, and the power of knowing where your food comes from. Spoiler: no one leaves hungry.
WSM: This space is amazing. When did you put in the patio we’re standing on right now?
Lane: Last summer. This used to be a wood deck that Sam and I ripped up. Then I hired these concrete guys—gorgeous work—and they did all this. Over there used to be an old shed that was falling apart. I hired my friend Dave to tear it down, but once a couple of walls came down I realized it actually looked cool like that. I said, “Never mind—leave it!” So now it’s this open spot I use for parties. I made it a loop: drinks over there, grill over here, a big table that can seat ten, and then the indoor living room connects right in.
WSM: It’s perfect for hosting.
Lane: Totally. And that plant you’re looking at—it’s called a honey bush. Looks spiky, but it’s soft and friendly. A landscaper started the design, and then I went crazy planting. The lilac looks terrible now after all the construction, but I’ll see what happens this year.
WSM: So it’s kind of your outdoor entertaining zone.
Lane: Yeah, exactly. It’s great for having people over. I just ripped up all my tomatoes, but this upper area will be veggies again soon—garlic, herbs. I’m ridiculous with the herbs. Oh, and see that citrus tree? That’s a yuzu and mandarin cross.
WSM: You don’t have to bring that inside?
Lane: Nope! The yuzu is super hardy. I just cover it with a blanket if it frosts. They’re from One Green World—I love that place.
WSM: So the reason I’m here—we’re doing this quarterly “magazine” as part of our new newsletter format. Instead of those long weekly emails, we do short biweekly blasts—new deli items, shop updates, events—and once a quarter we publish this high-production “magazine.”
This fall’s theme is feasting and gathering. We’ve done the classic “how to cook a turkey” thing before, so this time we’re looking through the lens of being the guest—what people bring to parties, how they gather, and what traditions they love. So we’re interviewing friends who approach the season a little differently.
Lane: Oh, that’s fun.
WSM: Totally. We did one last time with Nikki Guerrero from Hot Mama Salsa.
Nikki: I love Nikki. I’ve known her for twenty years. She goes hard when she hosts.
WSM: Right? She’s magnificent. Okay, let’s get into it.
WSM: Where did you grow up?
Lane: Merritt Island, Florida—on the Space Coast. It’s this funny little island between two rivers, the Indian and the Banana, and then Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral are right next to it. NASA’s right there.
WSM: Wow, so you literally grew up on the road to NASA.
Lane: Exactly. My family’s from Sicily—my great-grandparents were farmers from Antillo, in Messina. They came to Florida in the early 1900s and started planting citrus. For years our family had two groves—Chrisafulli and Polichicchio—on either side of the road to NASA.
We sold fruit, jams, fresh juice—you name it. And every Christmas people would mail-order boxes of citrus. It was like our little Sicilian sweatshop: all the women packing boxes, all the kids helping, the men in the fields.
WSM: That’s amazing.
Lane: Yeah, that’s where I got my love of food and “gift boxes.” It’s in the blood.
WSM: What was family life like?
Lane: Loud and full of food. Everyone lived within a mile. My grandmother’s house was the hub. Sundays were church in the morning and pasta lunch right after. Always red sauce—meatballs, lasagna, bracioli—that’s pounded meat rolled up with sausage, breadcrumbs, herbs, seared, then braised in sauce.
WSM: That sounds incredible.
Lane: It is. The sauce would cook while we were at church. When we came home, lunch was ready. That smell—it’s still comfort to me.
WSM: So when it’s your turn to host the holidays, what’s on your table?
Lane: Lasagna and bracioli, always. Never turkey. I’ll do a fennel–citrus–olive salad, maybe a fennel gratin or roasted cabbage wedges with a nut salsa. I like to start every gathering with a big crudités board and dips. I love when people can nibble on fresh veggies while we’re cooking.
There was this one time when I was young, it was Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve and I was with my Grandmother and family, probably about 30 of us, and we did not do bracioli and Lasagna, instead we made little pizzas in the oven. My grandmother would always make fried bread, she would get this white dough that she would then pull apart and fry. So she did that but this time we made them into little pizzas. That was very exciting for me as a kid because it was something different and exotic.
WSM: And to drink?
Lane: Wine. Just wine. Usually Italian—Sicilian if I can—or local. After a big meal, I’ll pour amaro.
WSM: Any favorite bottles?
Lane: COS, from Giusto Occhipinti in Sicily. I’ve stayed with him there. His niece Ariana makes beautiful wines too. I also drink wines from friends—Myrta’s family up north, for instance. It always tastes better when you know the winemaker.
WSM: I completely agree. I met Luke from COR Winery recently, and after hearing his story, every bottle tastes more meaningful.
Lane: Yes! That’s it. When you know their story—their land, what drives them—it’s different. Sicily taught me that. I used to drink only red wine, but after visiting in 2019, I got hooked on whites—Grillo, Catarratto, Zibibbo. The locals will tell you what to drink with your meal, and honestly, they’re right.
WSM: Totally. I was raised thinking white wine was just cheap pinot grigio with an ice cube.
Lane: Same! Then you taste good white wine with food, and it’s like, oh—this is why it exists.
WSM: What are your go-to tools in the kitchen?
Lane: Wooden spoon, chef’s knife, mandoline (I even slice garlic on it), microplane, and a really good peeler. That’s all you need.
WSM: Simple and effective.
Lane: I’m also a sucker for toppings—crunchy bits, powders, things from Wellspent. Roast something, sprinkle a crunchy salty thing on it, and suddenly you’re a genius.
WSM: Okay, I’ve heard about your “trash salad.” What’s in it?
Lane: Radicchio, Toby’s Feta dressing, a sprinkle of Ramajan (it’s like nutritional yeast with walnuts and sesame, from Natural Grocers), and spicy pumpkin seeds. That’s it. The combo’s hilarious and perfect.
WSM: What’s your go-to dessert?
Lane: Chocolate cake. I love Café Olli’s, but I make a really good one too—Alice Waters’ recipe with chocolate–mascarpone frosting. Rich but not too sweet.
WSM: And I heard something about a Frangelico cake?
Lane: Oh yeah! It started as a rum cake recipe, but I swapped in Frangelico. Hazelnut, buttery, boozy—so good.
WSM: Where do you love to go out to eat?
Lane: Lovely’s for pizza. Luce—always. That farro pie! The same menu forever, and it’s perfect. I love the little wine bar next door, too. Also Pizza Thief, Nostrana, Rangoon Bistro, and Yaowarat. I like places where I can just say, “You drive,” and let the server pick everything.
WSM: That’s the best kind of dining.
WSM: You’ve got this great mix of Pacific Northwest meets Sicilian Florida.
Lane: Exactly. Pacific Northwest ingredients through the lens of a Floridian Sicilian—that’s my deal.
WSM: And if you’re hosting a holiday meal, it’s lasagna, bracioli, and plenty of wine.
Lane: Always. No turkey in sight.
Lane’s Bracioli (aka Braciole)
- Pound pork or beef thin.
- Mix sausage, breadcrumbs, Parm, herbs, and an egg.
- Spread filling, roll, tie.
- Sear until browned.
- Simmer in red sauce until tender; slice and serve.
The "Trash Salad"
- Radicchio
- Toby’s Feta dressing
- Ramajan (nooch/walnut/sesame)
- Spicy pumpkin seeds.
Toss and enjoy.
Stay up to date with Lane at @culinarybreedingnetwork
Photos via Lane Selman