Reetsyburger's Refuge

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things: 2011

2012-01-10T16:07:00.032-06:00

I started doing an annual recap of my favorite annual eats a few years ago, and it's a blog entry I've always enjoyed writing. Like I said last year, it's like looking at a yearbook, but without the "See you next year! Never Change!" crap.

From sensational seafood to a providential pizza experience, and everything in between, the meals and bites have been amazing this year. As always, I've had the perfect, charming date in my husband, gerg, along with smart, zany friends and family who are usually willing to share bites with me. If you're reading this, and you were there, thank you.

Here are my 10 favorite edibles from 2011 in no particular order:

The once-in-a-lifetime treat - aerated foie gras with pickled beet, mashad plum, and brioche - at wd~50 in New York was dizzying and delectable. Gerg and I ate it, with a wide-eyed expression conveying, "Holy hell this is good." Read this for a technical BrEaKdOwN: "He makes a terrine, breaks it, re-emulsifies it, and then places it in a food saver type container with a one-way valve. The container goes in the cryovac machine, the pressure aerates the foie." - Global Chefs. Photo by in-nycsite.com

Taking in a cheese, sausage, pepperoni, onion, and garlic at Grimaldi's Pizza in Brooklyn before it closed in December 2011 proved to be providential. "For those of you keeping score at home, here's where we're at: the beloved coal-oven pizzeria in Brooklyn was supposed to have closed (their lease was up) and moved next door last month, so that the space's original pizzaiolo, Patsy Grimaldi, could start work on his new pizzeria in the old space. The new space, at 1 Front Street, has been subject to some Department of Buildings drama over Grimaldi's plan to install an illegal coal-fired brick oven, and there is currently a stop work order on the address. So, in short: Grimaldi's as we've known it appears to be closed for good, with no re-opening date in sight. Better head over to Queens if you want a taste of the not-quite-original coal brick-oven pizzeria." - from gotham.com

Pizza Night at the Stone Barn in Nelson, WI was scenic. Along the back roads of the Mississippi River there’s a charming pizza farm, and it serves on the weekends (unlike A to Z’s pizza night). If you’re planning a weekend autumn trip through the Mississippi River Valley, the Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin, is a fun stop, especially via motorcycle. We ordered the Stone Farm supreme, and we liked their house-made, Italian, pork sausage. Bring a frisbee, or a deck of cards, and be prepared to hang out. It might take awhile to get your pie, but are you really rushing when you're eating at a pizza farm in rural Wisconsin?

Early in the 2011 season, I told gerg that I'd make a 6 foot submarine sandwich when the Packers made it to the Superbowl. I called at least ten bakeries in the Twin Cities before I found one that would bake a 6 foot loaf of bread. For $40, we secured our loaf, and constructed our "Raji's Rocket." Half club, half Italian, with plenty of pickles and olives on the side, the rocket sustained the whole gang (except the vegetarians) during the game and for several meals after the game. The Green Bay Packers won the that Superbowl, and hopefully I'll be making another one this year! Go Pack!

My 2011 birthday trip for lunch at Le Bernardin in New York was probably the edible highlight of the year. The crispy black bass with pickled cucumbers and a black garlic-persian lime sauce was flawless. So was the shrimp with mâche and wild mushroom salad, topped with shaved foie gras, and a light white balsamic vinaigrette. Oh, and I forgot to mention how delicious the baked Maine lobster with caramelized endive-pear "terrine", and whiskey-black peppercorn sauce was. My celebrity chef crush, Eric Ripert, wasn't available for a wink, but the coat check girl's decolletage was. Ohh la la! Photo by rolala loves.

When my husband asks me what I want for supper, the following usually comes to mind in any particular order: Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Korean. I like Korean food, and I like Sole Café in St Paul. Their kimchi jjigae with tofu is good—a hot and steamy bowl of stew made with their house-made kimchi, tender onions, and tofu. The thin, tangy, spicy, red pepper broth is balanced by a side of white rice which helps cool and recalibrate your palette after every three bites or so, as do the five small plates of seasoned vegetables (namul) that are placed at your table.

While in San Francisco for Dreamforce 2011, I dined solo at Ame. My meal was a tasting from the Sashimi Bar. A suave gentleman speaking Italian dropped the eye on me, but my meal was the star of the show. The seafood was slapping me with seaweed it was so fresh. My meal from the bottom left - clockwise: 1) sashimi of Santa Barbara sea urchin and spot prawn in aonori ocean gelee, 2) cuttlefish staff meal (center) with Santa Barbara Sea Urchin and trout roe, 3) tempura “poke” with ogo seaweed, hawaiian sea salt and green onions, 4) kaisen salad with Japanese cucumber, Hijiki, Tobiko caviar and yuzu soy vinaigrette, and 5) sea bass crudo with olive oil, lemon, and sea salt.

For our 3rd anniversary, gerg and I rode our Honda Nighthawk motorcycle to Niagara Falls. On our return trip, we swung by Bortell's Fisheries in Ludington, MI for some fried perch and cold beer. As we ate at a picnic table and watched the sunset, we thought, "this is the best thing ever," and we were right. "Jane and Michael Stern named the 110-year-old fish depot one of America's Top Ten Seafood Shacks, of the ilk of The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport, Maine, and the Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco. Bortell's Fisheries seafood of choice is Great Lakes whitefish, but the menu also includes walleye, catfish, trout and smelt, all sold by the piece or pound." - from mynorth.com

This summer was all about food trucks in the Twin Cities. The truck that consistently satisfied and delighted, and the truck that had me daydreaming about griddled cornmeal dough patties overflowing with local meat, veggies, and spicy sauces was Hola Arepa. My favorite was the slow-roasted pork arepa stuffed with saucy shredded pork, black beans, and cotija cheese. While the sauces of the slow-cooked meats are bold and spicy, they’re not hot, unless you add one of their signature hot sauces. I like their mild Hola Sauce, made with mangoes, yellow peppers, and other “super secret” herbs and spices.

Pizzeria Lola in Minneapolis serves a Sunnyside pizza that is reminiscent of a Sunday brunch with crunchy toast, salty bacon, and sunny-side up eggs. The crunchy, chewy, wood-fired crust of the Sunnyside is baked with folds of La Quercia guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon prepared with pig's jowl or cheeks), slivers of melted pecorino; a splash of cream; browned, buttery leeks; and framed in the middle, is a just-set egg. From southern Tuscany to Hoboken, especially on the Pizza alla Bismark, people enjoy rich egg yolk with crunchy pizza crust. Tear off the crust, and dip it in the egg yolk. You'll be b'eggin for more! -- Ok, sorry about that. That was a bad joke, but my dad would LOVE it.

Other notables:
- So many of Carrie's sweets, and learning how to make bahn zeo and really good papaya salad with both of the Vonos.
- The potted duck meat with fresh bread and mustard at Tilia
- My awesome chocolate, coffee, salted caramel birthday cake made by Sarah
- 6lbs of the illest sausages in a crockpot by Cohen
- Aimee and Jon's camp stove eggs n' salmon saving me from certain destruction due to Malört
- The popovers and honey butter at Bachelor Farmer
- The beef tenderloin at Ag in Niagara Falls

My past year's recaps can be found below:
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: 2010
2009: A Few of My Favorite Edible Things

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies Just Like Mom Used to Make

2011-12-08T11:16:00.006-06:00

One of my most vivid holiday memories from childhood is decorating cookies. Now, just so you understand, decorating cookies was an epic event at our household. With 6 kids, all of whom needed to bring cookies to various events, my mom made a boatload of cut-out cookies - we're talking enough cookies to completely cover both the dining room and kitchen tables (both of which seat 8). It must have been at least 20 dozen.

After all that baking, my mom would gather the kids around the kitchen table with giant bowls of icing, sprinkles, and shredded coconut, and we would commence decorating all of those cookies. It would take several hours to complete, especially when each reindeer cookie had to have a red sprinkle on the nose, and every tree cookie had to have ornaments frosted on it. My personal favorite technique was using shredded coconut with white icing for Santa's beard.

My mom was so hilarious and awesome - we were not allowed to lick anything, and naturally we'd forget, so she was constantly supervising, sending us to wash our hands and replacing our frosting knives anytime we "sampled." I can just see her - hands on hips, laughing at our ridiculous designs - and us - crawling over each other to grab the blue frosting, or crawling under the table to head for the bathroom to wash our hands (yet again).

Naturally, at some point, we grew up and moved out, and mom grew tired of making all of those cookies by herself, and I gladly picked up the tradition baton. I'll say this much - cookies, especially gingerbread men , become rated R pretty quickly when friends, rather than children, are in charge of decorating. ANYhoo - here's my version of gingerbread cut-out cookies (adapted from a Good Housekeeping recipe):

Note: The molasses and ginger are the stars of this recipe, so don't skimp on those ingredients.

Yield: 6-1/2 dozen
Prep: 20 min. + chilling time (2 hours)
Bake: 10 min./batch

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup dark molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
Frosting or confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter, vanilla, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Refrigerate pan for 10 minutes.

Remove pan from refrigerator and bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Frost or dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Cheese That's Worth The Splurge

2011-12-08T11:10:00.000-06:00

Cheese That's Worth The Splurge - Dara & Co. - November 2011 - Minnesota

Hear ye! Hear ye! The newest batch of Hook’s 15-year-old super-aged cheddar has made its way to the Twin Cities.

Overall, Hook’s 15-year-old cheddar has a balanced, intensely cheddar flavor. Like so many aged cheeses that I enjoy, the lactic acid has crystallized in the Hook’s 15-year-old cheddar forming a few crunchy bits of calcium lactate, the crystals ranging in color from darkish yellow to almost white.

While some aged cheddars take on an extremely bitter quality, most likely brought on by the temperature being raised during the aging process, the marginal bitterness of the Hook's 15-year is balanced with sourness and saltiness expected in cheddar cheese. It’s slightly crumbly, and best at room temperature. Savor the delectable cheddar chunks on their own, or perhaps with a few slices of apple.

If it sounds like the Hooks are cheese wizards, they very well might be. Nearly 40 years ago, Tony and Julie Hook started making cheese together. Julie Hook remains the only woman to win the World Championship Cheese Contest for her Colby cheese in 1982, and more recently the Hooks won a Silver Medal for their Gorgonzola at the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest.

This year, Hook’s began selling their 15-year cheddar at their cheese factory in Mineral Point on Friday, November 4, and shipped it out to shops around Minnesota shortly thereafter. It’s currently available at France 44, Surdyk’s, and Lunds & Byerly’s while supplies last. Obviously prices vary, but you can expect to see it selling for about $60-$70/lb. At that price, I budget for it, forsaking other indulgences, and it’s always worth it.

[where: cheese, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

New York, New York. 2011.

2011-11-29T15:06:00.038-06:00

A recap of our trip to NYC and North Adams with images and words.
----------
For my birthday this year, I received an invitation - an invitation with boarding passes attached - from gerg. He decided the perfect gift for me was a trip to NYC and a meal at Le Bernardin. He is totally boss.

I was excited for NYC, but I was feeling a bit rundown on Friday after a long meeting in Kansas City which came to an exciting finish as the gentleman seated next to me puked all over himself on the plane as we landed in Minneapolis. Sheesh.

But being a north woods girl, as soon as I saw Manhattan from the window seat that Saturday evening, I was fully revived and ready for some hot, city action. We spent our first night wandering, heading down to Times Square, stopping for a slice and several cocktails en route.

We saw a Macy's window display with gears in it. gerg likes gears.

I woke up on Sunday morning with a cold, but that didn't stop us from heading to the West Village to catch the Packer game at Kettle of Fish, where we ran into a crap-ton of Packer fans. MANY high fives were thrown about.

Standing in line at the Kettle of Fish in Greenwich Village awaiting admittance.

Later that night we celebrated a ripping Packer victory with drinks at Barramundi bar on the lower east side and dinner at wd~50, Wylie Dufresne's NYC restaurant. wd~50's atmosphere is sophisticated, casual, and somewhat SEXy. Neither too forward, nor too aloof, our server seemed like she'd always worked there, and was happy to be there.

The food at wd~50 was trickery on a plate. The aerated foie gras inspired in gerg a new appreciation for foie, so much so that he ordered it at Le Bernardin the following day. The wagyu chuck steak was rich, slightly salty, and figgy. We ordered the dessert to split, but our server said the chef insisted that we each have our own, and brought out two servings - both of which we savored.

Aerated foie gras with pickled beet, mashad plum, and brioche (dizzying and delectable)
Peekytoe crab roll with salt ‘n vinegar chips and celery mayonnaise
The foreknown eggs benedict (it definitely delivered)
Wagyu chuck steak with black-eyed peas, fig, and rutabaga (wagyu in figgy sauce FTW)
Duck breast with black sesame dumplings, red cabbage, parsnip consommé
Soft Chocolate with beet, long pepper, and ricotta

Monday morning came early, and we had to get to the National September 11 Memorial Museum for our scheduled tour of the outdoor space. The pools are huge, as is the space. That we couldn't see the bottom of the fountains within the pools was unsettling, but we both agreed that we were ok with feeling unsettled. Slightly eerie, very much overwhelming - we saw children playing tag among the trees while adults wept in solitude.

One of the twin reflecting pools at the 911 Memorial.

Our visit to the memorial was cut short because we had a lunch date a Le Bernardin. The place was gorgeous - from the upholstery on the suede and chrome chairs, to the tiny bubbles on the dinner plates, to the buttons on the maître d's jacket. The 24-foot triptych painting of a stormy sea called "Deep Water No. 1" by Ran Ortner of Brooklyn, pushed the aquatic theme to the forefront. Our meal was captivating, from the foie-topped shrimp to the crispy black cod. I did not catch a glimpse of Ripert, but I did catch a glimpse of the coat check girl's *ahem* décolletage - scandalous!

Shrimp with mâche and wild mushroom salad, topped with shaved foie gras, and a light white balsamic vinaigrette
Albacore confit "en salade" with bibb lettuce, deviled quail egg, liquid black olive, preserved tomato, and pepper
Crispy black bass with pickled cucumbers and a black garlic-persian lime sauce
Baked Maine lobster with caramelized endive-pear "terrine", and whiskey-black peppercorn sauce
Maralumi milk chocolate with salted peanut caramel and malted milk crunch
Dominican chocolate cremeux with toasted bread, brown butter sauce, and marcona almonds

Getting our tourist on in front of Le Bernardin.

Have you noticed gerg's facial hair tribute to Pete Vuckovich? He received a couple shout-outs from passersby on his sweet, Movember moustache. With gerg's 'stache in tow, we headed to Brooklyn, where we stopped by NYC Resistor, a hacker collective with a shared space. We met some geeks. Gerg felt comfortable. A trip to Brooklyn wouldn't be complete without a stop at Grimald's, in DUMBO, so we swung by. The line was short, so we stopped for a pie -piping hot cheese, sausage, pepperoni, onion, and garlic on a coal charred crust.

Pizza at Grimaldi's, under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Eventually, we headed to 4th Avenue Pub in Park Slope to meet up with some old friends from Minnesota, Bryn and Micycle. I had an imperial oatmeal stout from Southern Tier Brewing Company. It was roasty, dark, bubbly, and a good fit for a rainy night in Brooklyn. The subway ride back to Manhattan was quiet, since everyone in the car was sleeping except for us. Snooze fest!

We spent all of Tuesday in Central Park. We started at the upper west corner and worked our way down. It was hard to believe that the trees, water falls, and woodsy feeling of the North Woods at the Ravine were so close the madcap streets of Manhattan. Gerg was pumped that he finally got to peep the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

The Huddlestone Arch at Central Park. Can you spot gerg?

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

After our tour of Central Park, we embarked on a train, and then caught a ride through the Berkshires, and ended up in North Adams, MA, where we celebrated Thanksgiving with friends who excelled at celebrity trivia and looking good.

We played.

We watched another ripping Packer victory.

We ate.

We imbibed.
The end.

Of COURSE that's not wine - what's WRONG with you?

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Cheers to Duluth-Made Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch - Dara & Co. - October 2011 - Minnesota

2011-10-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

When I’m in the mood for a light, refreshing beer, I grab a Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch, brewed in Duluth.

Yes, I know, wet hopped beers are all the rage this time of year, and for good reason—they’re awesome. But sometimes, I need a break from hoppy beers, and when I’m in the mood for a light, balanced, refreshing beer, I grab a Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch.

The folks at Lake Superior Brewing Company started in the 1990s as homebrewers. Today, they craft a variety of regular, seasonal, and specialty beers at their brewery in Duluth. Although German law dictates that only a few breweries in and around Cologne can legally call their beers “Kölsches,” the Lake Superior version is a worthy homage. Lighter than a lager, straw yellow, slightly grainy in the nose, crisp and smooth on the palate, with moderate levels of German hops and carbonation, Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch is an ideal session beer.

Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch pairs well with all kinds of food, but can be overwhelmed easily. I'd recommend serving it with fruit, cheese, grilled vegetables, and delicately spiced meat. And when you’re ready to share your love of Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch with several people, kegs are available by special order from Surdyk’s and St. Anthony Village Liquor Warehouse.

Cheers to Duluth-Made Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch - Dara & Co. - October 2011 - Minnesota

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Apple Cider Donuts

2011-10-20T12:27:00.001-05:00

Behold the autumnal tradition known as the apple cider donut!

Donuts, donuts everywhere! The donut craze in the Twin Cities has been well documented by Dara, and indeed, many bakeries in the Twin Cities are cranking out good donuts. But this time of year, I scout out a donut of a different variety: Behold the autumnal tradition known as the apple cider donut.

Apple cider donuts are dense cake donuts made with apple cider and buttermilk. Deep fried until golden brown, the tender morsels are usually coated generously with cinnamon and sugar. Depending on the maker, the apple cider flavor can be more or less pronounced, and cinnamon and nutmeg levels vary by maker as well. Although coated in sugar, they’re not cloyingly sweet. My guess is that it has something to do with the tanginess of the cider and buttermilk in the batter.

Finding a cider donut can be tricky. You likely won’t find them at a bakery. They seem to take up residence among piles of apples at farmers market apple stands.

Local Apple Cider Donut Spottings:
• McDougall's Apple Junction - Hastings
• Sweetland Orchard stand - NE Farmers' Market, Mill City, Bloomington, Fulton, and Kingfield.

So get thee to a fall farmers' market! Upon arrival, grab a coffee, milk, or hot apple cider before you get in line for your donut. Then, find your cider donut, take a bite, and smile.

And just in case you’re interested in making your own cider donuts, here’s a recipe that pumps up the apple flavor by reducing the cider.

Apple Cider Donuts

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 18 donuts, and 18 donut holes

1 cup apple cider
3 1/2 cups flour, plus additional for the work surface
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil for frying
Topping

Cinnamon sugar (1 cup granulated sugar + 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon)

In a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat, gently reduce the apple cider to about 1/4 cup, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Beat the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, until the eggs are completely incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the reduced apple cider and the buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Add the flour mixture and continue to mix just until the dough comes together.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle them generously with flour. Turn the dough onto one of the sheets and sprinkle the top with flour. Flatten the dough with your hands until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Use more flour if the dough is still wet. Transfer the dough to the freezer until it is slightly hardened, about 20 minutes. Using a 3-inch or 3 1/2-inch doughnut cutter, cut out doughnut shapes. Place the cut doughnuts and doughnut holes onto the sheet pans. Refrigerate the doughnuts for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add enough oil to a deep-sided pan to measure a depth of about 3 inches. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350°F*. Place a couple of cooling racks on a jellyroll pan.

While the cut doughnut shapes are in the refrigerator, make the cinnamon sugar by mixing the two together. Set aside.

Fry and top the doughnuts: Carefully add a few doughnuts to the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds. Turn the doughnuts over and fry until the other side is golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Let them settle on the cooling rack for a minute after the doughnuts are fried. Dip them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Serve with coffee, hot cider, or milk.

Apple Cider Donuts—Heaven! - Dara & Co. - October 2011 - Minnesota

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Food Lover's Must Read: Lapham's Quarterly Food Issue

2011-10-11T19:30:00.009-05:00

Why must you read the Lapham's Quarterly food issue? Because it rules.

Lapham's Quarterly threw all of its weight behind the topic of food, and created one hell of a charming magazine issue.

Lapham's Quarterly is a quarterly magazine that devotes each issue to a single topic. This past summer's issue was "Food." Lewis Lapham is the man behind the magazine. Former editor of Harper's Magazine, he is now the editor and eponym of the magazine. Lapham and his team assembled the issue by scouring thousands of pieces from the literary and art world, and piled them into a not-too-cohesive collection with food as their theme.

From food-related scenes lifted from Shakespeare and Dickens to snippets by Anthony Bourdain and Patton Oswalt, Lapham's Food issue tackles the topic of food with silliness and serious contemplation via excerpts, poems, trivia, artwork, essays, charts, and jokes. View the contents of the food issue here.

From Lapham's blog:

"In the issue, Charles Dickens asks for just a little more, Annie Dillard participates in the food chain, William Carlos Williams raids the refrigerator, Roland Barthes fiddles with chopsticks, H.L. Mencken worships the hot dog, and Erasmus teaches us how to have good table manners.
The issue also includes charts and graphs of history's top chefs, a sampling of dos and don't for table manners all over the world, the calorie counts of military rations, and major historical party fouls. Our essays include Daniel Mason on earth-eating, science writer Deborah Blum on food poisoning, and Brent Cunningham on the bourgeois desire to return to the farm."

I only wish they could have included my favorite scene from Uncle Buck (surely they would have if they could have):

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Pizza Night at the Stone Barn in Nelson, WI

2011-09-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

This picturesque Wisconsin farm serves wood-fired brick oven pizza on weekend nights.

Pizza on the farm is fast becoming a popular summertime experience for city and country folk alike. In the most recent issue of Minnesota Monthly, Dara wrote about the “incredibly charming and memorable” Pizza Night at A to Z Produce, in Stockholm, Wisconsin.

But along the back roads of the Mississippi River there’s another charming pizza farm, and it serves on the weekends (unlike A to Z’s pizza night). If you’re planning a weekend autumn trip through the Mississippi River Valley, the Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin, is a destination offering pizza on the farm, ice cream, pristine woods, and an antique shop.

Stone Barn’s pizza is constructed on extra thin crust baked in a wood-fired brick oven. They make fresh dough each day, and roll out a fresh crust for each pizza when you place your order. As for toppings, meat eaters can indulge in the Italian sausage, chorizo, or gyros, which they prepare on-site by combining local pork or lamb. The herbs that flavor the pizza are grown on-site, and if you’re lucky, you can grab an outdoor table next to a raised bed overflowing with fragrant basil and rosemary.

The picturesque outdoor seating area is nestled among solid stone wall foundations left standing after a barn collapsed in the 1980s. If you can’t grab an outdoor table, the grassy area allows picnickers to lounge, bird watchers to ponder, and butterfly chasers to rollick. If outdoor seating isn’t available, indoor seating offers a view of the pizzas being made in their wood-fired brick oven. An antique shop offers a collection of antique jewelry and serve ware. Wait time can be up to two hours, so sipping a bottle of beer or a glass of wine (available on-site) and taking in the scenery and some antiques will help pass the time.
The Stone Barn will be closing a little earlier this year, so September 25th will be their last day for the 2011 season—they’ll re-open in May of 2012. Until then, they’re open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Pack what you’ll need, including bug spray, binoculars, books, etc. Be sure to take all that you brought; it’s a private farm, not a public park.

The Stone Barn
S685 County Road KK
Nelson, WI 54756

http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Blogs/Dear-Dara/September-2011/Pizza-Night-at-the-Stone-Barn/

American Cheese Society Awards - WI and MN Roundup

2011-08-10T13:53:00.003-05:00

The 2011 American Cheese Society competition is a wrap, and several Minnesota and Wisconsin dairies came back with ribbons. Why did I pull out Wisconsin and Minnesota? Because I was born and raised in Wisconsin and I currently live in Minnesota. So there.

Check out my sister blog, You Are Where You Eat for my highlights and the list of MN and WI cheese that made the cut: http://eatsustainable.blogspot.com/2011/08/2011-american-cheese-society.html

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Reetsy's Take on Punch's Mimi Pizza

2011-08-02T15:50:00.012-05:00

Recently, I made my own version of a Mimi Pizza, with darn good results.

Punch Pizza rocks, as Minneapolines all know. My pizza jam at Punch is the Mimi. They bake a pizza crust in their wood-fired oven, pull it out of the oven, and then pile it with fresh grape tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic. I'm a sucker for the contrast in temperatures and the unexpected twist of the uncooked tomatoes and cheese on a pizza.

For book club in July, I attempted my own version of the Mimi, using some of my favorite local ingredients. I used fresh, local mozzarella, organic cherry tomatoes from Wisconsin, and organic basil from my garden. I even used organic flour from North Dakota in the crust.

I had planned on using my grill for a truly HOT cooking surface, but weather didn't permit, so I used the oven cranked as high as it would go, and preheated the heck out of a pizza stone.

For the dough, I used Peter Reinhart's Napoletana pizza dough recipe. It's a bit time-consuming, but not rocket science, and it results in a fantastic, toothsome, chewy-on-the-inside, crusty-around-the-edges crust.

Hot, Recipe ACTION!

5 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 ¾ tsp Table Salt or 1 ¼ tsp Kosher Salt (I used Kosher)

1 tsp Instant Yeast

1 ¾ cups plus 2 tbsp Cool Water

1. Using an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook mix together all the ingredients on low speed for 4 minutes or until all the flour gathers together to form a coarse ball. Let this rest for 5 minutes then mix again for an additional 2 minutes, until the dough clears the side of the bowl and sticks a bit to the bottom (add a bit more water if too dry, or flour if too wet).

2. Put the dough onto a floured surface, dust the top with flour to absorb the surface moisture and then form the dough into a ball. Put the dough ball into lightly oiled bowl turning the dough over to coat, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before refrigerating overnight.

3. On the following day remove the bowl from the fridge 2 hours before you plan on making pizzas. Using wet hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface, trying to deflate the dough as little as possible. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, gently rounding each into a ball. Line a baking sheet with parchment and brush with olive oil. Place the pieces you intend to use that day on the sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit out for 2 hours before making into pizzas. You can now freeze any of the extra dough balls in individual food bags (still oil the dough). Use the refrigerated dough within 2 days and the frozen dough within 3 months.

4. An hour before you make pizza pre heat the oven to its highest setting, with you pizza stone on the middle shelf.

5. To shape into pizzas place the dough on a floured surface and firmly but gently flatten with floured hands to about an inch thick. Use your fingertips press into and around the edge of the dough, turning it as you do, and continue in a spiral fashion, turning and pressing as you work your way to the center. You want to stretch the dough to about 9 inches.

6. If you don’t have a peel (not exactly common kitchen equipment) use an inverted baking sheet dusted with flour. Move the dough to the ‘peel’ and make sure it can move freely.

7. Transfer the pizza to the baking stone and cook until the crust is puffy and slightly charred, about 9 minutes in my oven, but your oven will probably vary so watch carefully.

8. In a bowl toss together quartered cherry tomatoes, cubed fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the warm crust. Sprinkle a chiffonade of basil over the top, and serve immediately.

Worth noting: I used less olive oil than Punch does, as a matter of taste. Also, eat it immediately. See, after sitting for awhile, the temperature of the ingredients levels out, and it's way more awesome when the cheese and tomatoes are cool and the crust is warm.

Niagara’s Wine Region Doesn't Dissapoint

2011-07-12T12:50:00.001-05:00

This month my husband and I enjoyed a week-long motorcycle ride to Niagara Falls for our anniversary celebration. Our route took us up through the Upper Peninsula, down along the eastern shore of Michigan, and across the green belt of Ontario. We experienced all kinds of regional culinary wonders—from cudighi (a regional spicy Italian sausage) and fresh perch, to poutine (French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy) and juicy strawberries.

Among all the edibles that the trip had to offer, the one aspect of local cuisine that truly enchanted me was Ontario’s wine region, specifically Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Niagara Escarpment. I had read that there were “some wineries” in the area, and we had planned on checking them out, but the wine culture and appreciation that we experienced was more enthusiastic than I had anticipated.

As we motored across the highway toward the falls, between bridges and views of Lake Huron, vineyards neatly dotted the landscape. I learned that Niagara’s wine region lies at approximately 43°, and while it’s no Burgandy, France, the conditions are decent enough that about 70 wineries operate in the surrounding Niagara area.

Unlike Dara & Co’s own Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, I’m no wine expert, so I took recommendations from servers and/or sommeliers when I was ready to start tasting. The standouts included the famous Inniskillin ice wine, a Konzelmann Estate Gewurztraminer, a Creekside Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and a reasonably priced Trius Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

You can catch a glimpse of a Niagara Peninsula winter while you watch a video about how ice wine is made here.

Ready to try some wine from the Niagara Peninsula? It’s not easy to find in the Twin Cities, but you can get your hands on a bottle of Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine 2007 at France 44.

Niagara’s Wine Region Doesn't Dissapoint - Dara & Co. - July 2011 - Minnesota

Rationalizing a Move to MN: An Attaboys Roundup

2011-05-25T20:00:00.003-05:00

My sister-in-law, her doctor husband, and their daughter are exploring options for relocating in a year or two. I like them. I like their kid. I like the idea that our future kid(s) could hang with their kid(s). We've been talking about the possibility of them moving here.

Now, I've got all kinds of personal reasons for promoting a move to the Twin Cities - good music, good food, good art, good parks, gerg, etc, but I'm looking for some more objective rationale. That said, I'm compiling a somewhat objective roundup of rationale for making a move to MN, in the form of a list of attaboys:

Health and Fitness

Minneapolis-St. Paul named the healthiest, fittest metropolitan area in the United States by the American College of Sports Medicine
Minneapolis named Bicycling's Top City by Bicycling.com
Minnesota named by best trail state by American Trails (biking, equestrian cross-country skiing, off-highway vehicle, water, snowmobile trails, and several thousand hiking trails)
Minneapolis is the fittest large city in the U.S., according to new rankings from MapMyFitness.
Named one of the top ten cities for organic eaters to live by Organic Authority.

Brains and Know-How

Minneapolis was named the third most literate city in the nation last year by the Center for Public Policy and Social Research
Minneapolis is named one of the top ten smartest cities in America by the Daily Beast

Quality of Life

Minneapolis was named the best city for finding employment by Forbes Magazine
Minneapolis, St Paul has the best airport food, according to airfarwatchdog
Minneapolis named top vacation spot by National Geographic Magazine
Target Field was named the Sports Facility of the Year by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal
Minneapolis Named One of 18 'Coolest Cities' in America by Men's Journal
Minnesota named 'Most Hipster State in the U.S.'

Medical

Minneosta named one of the top 10 friendliest states for physicians by Modern Medicine.
Rochester (just 1.5 hours away) named one of the 10 best cities of the next decade by Kiplinger
Four Minnesota hospitals were named among best in nation by Thomson Reuters

Help me make the case. If I forgot a good one, comment below, yo.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

It’s International Pickles Week!

2011-05-20T13:46:00.000-05:00

It’s International Pickles Week! - Dara & Co. - May 2011 - Minnesota

It’s the third week in May! You know what that means? It’s International Pickles Week! Whether they’re slung aside a sandwich or perched atop a Chicago dog, pickles are an ever-present side dish, especially in Minnesota in the summer. Thus, I thought I’d devote some time to Minnesota’s pickling tradition.

Perhaps Minnesota’s greatest claim to pickle fame is Gedney pickles. In 1879 (before Ford sold his first automobile), Mathias Anderson Gedney moved to Minneapolis with pickles in mind. With a handful of recipes, he opened his first Gedney pickle plant in 1881 in Minneapolis at the corner of Lowry and Pacific. Gedney’s plant eventually relocated to Chaska, where it still operates today.

There is no shortage of pickles in Minnesota, whether you’re scanning jars at the State Fair, raiding your auntie’s root cellar, or a munchin' on a plate of potluck pickle roll-ups at Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge. Perhaps you want to go the extra mile in the name of pickles this week? The Strip Club Meat and Fish serves up a pickle small plate featuring vegetables that are pickled in-house and deep fried. Or you could try your own hand at frying some pickles using this Gedney recipe:

Gedney’s Deep Fried Pickles Recipe
Preparation time: 60 min. Serves: 8
· 24 dill pickle spears, chilled
· Egg wash, recipe follows
· Breading, recipe follows
· Canola oil, for frying

EGG WASH
· 2 cups milk
· 2 eggs
· Pinch of lemon pepper
· Pinch of dill weed
· Pickle juice

BREADING
· 2 1/2 cups cornmeal
· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 cup lemon pepper
· 1/2 cup dill weed
· 4 tsp paprika
· 2 tsp garlic salt
· Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste

For egg wash: In a baking dish, whisk all ingredients together, except pickle juice. Add pickle juice, to taste, and whisk to combine.

For breading: Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.

Using only very cold dill pickle spears, dip pickle into egg wash and then coat with breading. Repeat until no pickles remain, and arrange dipped pickles on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes. In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Alternatively, heat oil in a large, heavy pot suitable for deep-frying. Carefully add chilled pickle spears, in batches, to the hot oil and fry for about 3 1/2 minutes or until golden. Move to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Do you have a favorite pickle in the cities? Know a great pickle recipe? Please share!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Sampling Masu Sushi & Robata

2011-05-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

Sampling Masu Sushi & Robata - Dara & Co. - April 2011 - Minnesota

Last week, gerg and I grabbed a meal at Masu Sushi & Robata, a new sushi and robata restaurant in NE Minneapolis. I was particularly interested because James Beard Award-winning chef Tim McKee was involved in producing the menu, and because they’ve made a commitment to sourcing sustainable seafood.

They were busy on that Wednesday night, so we set up a reservation for 9:30 p.m. and took some time to decompress at our NE home before we headed out. Upon arriving, we were seated in a cozy booth under a painted pair of watchful eyes that spanned the full length of the back wall. The menu consisted of sake and other drinks, pub-style appetizers (izakaya), sushi, grilled items (robata), and noodles.

We split a glass of sweet sparkling rhubarb green tea from their non-alcoholic drink menu. Then we ordered the “Warrior” sake flight consisting of Minato Harbor Yamahai Nama Genshu, Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo, and Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu. The $14.50 Warrior flight is an economical way to sample the Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu since it runs $89 by the bottle.

The ginger duck dumplings (gyoza) were an appetizing combination of rich duck meat and pungent ginger. The crispy bottoms of the dumplings balanced the unctuous texture of the duck. As we gobbled them up, my husband noted that he “could eat about nine more orders of those.”

Up next was a round of oyster shooters—a quail egg, an oyster, some flying fish roe (tobiko) and green shiso submerged in a 2 oz. shot of sake. It was high-five worthy. The combination of the sweetness from the sake, the saltiness of the oyster, and the richness of the quail egg made for a memorable and tasty shooter.

The sustainable seafood options are plentiful on the sushi menu. I opted for a bowl of the littleneck clam ramen with garlic, seaweed (wakame), and fish cake. The ramen wasn’t the slimy noodles from a cup that I experienced in college. The noodles were just past al dente, and as I plucked the clam meat from the tiny shells floating among the noodles, I slurped the broth and contemplated ordering another oyster shooter.

Masu also is serving up a selection of items prepared on a charcoal grill (robata), from Japanese mushrooms to glazed pork ribs. Speaking of the pork ribs, while they’ve made a commitment to sustainable seafood, they haven’t applied that same commitment to their other meats on the menu, according to our server.

The atmosphere is playful and upbeat, complete with a half dozen pachinko machines and Munny dolls. Robata, oyster shooters, and Pachinko? That’s a happy hour recipe worth repeating.

Masu Sushi & Robata
330 E Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
612-332-6278

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

2011-05-03T13:52:00.003-05:00

America's Test Kitchen's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

My husband is a certified cookie monster, so we're always trying out new cookie recipes in our kitchen.

Now, the Toll House recipe has been my "tried and true" chocolate chip cookie recipe for years, but we discovered a "Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe from Cook's Illustrated, and with a name like that, we had to try it.

The ingredients are relatively similar to the Toll House recipe with minor variations. Possibly the most interesting and valuable piece of information in the recipe was related to the actual baking of the cookies. They warned against baking "in batches."

"Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving....Baking two trays at a time may be convenient, but it leads to uneven cooking. The cookies on the top tray are often browner around the edges than those on the bottom, even when rotated halfway through cooking."

I'm the kind of nutcase who hovers around the oven while my cookies are baking, so with a timer and some attentiveness I managed to rotate the trays as suggested. It made a RADICAL difference in the consistency of the cookies.

I've adopted this technique for other cookie recipes, and it works!

HOT TRELLIS ACTION

2011-04-29T17:16:00.000-05:00

I like growing green beans. I like pickling them. I like sharing jars of pickled green beans with my homies.

For that reason, I decided we needed a trellis. Not just ANY trellis...but an epic trellis. A trellis so big and so awesome that we could grow more than 75 square feet of beans.

Enter my husband Gerg - the handiest, fixitiest dude I know. He was able to use salvaged wood from our epic fence project last year, hardware he had laying around, and paint leftover from the house trim. All he had to buy was a roll of twine for $2.97.

The plan was simple. Build a giant trellis for the side of the house.

3 simple steps:

1) THINK BIG. Lay out slats of wood. Nail them in place. Staple twine to the backside for additional crawl space for the vines.

2) Once assembled, paint it to match the trellis mounted to the front of your house. When you smack your head as you're painting the underside, don't cry. Instead, go in the garage, complain to Gerg, get a quick hug, and get back to painting.

3) Hang it on the side of the house using very strong anchors reinforced with caulk. Then, stand back and marvel at your giant trellis.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Rave-R-Rave Fashion

2011-04-27T19:24:00.001-05:00

Could I wear a feather boa, giant pants, and a visor and get away with it? I did at Drop Bass's epic outdoor rave, Even Further, in 1997.

And I still could! Rave fashion is alive and well - stomper pants, tutus, beads, backpacks, glow sticks and all! But apparently, above all else, a raver gal must rock fuzzy legwarmers for an optimal raving experience these days.

Check it: http://www.raveready.com/

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

If You're Near Madison on April 16, Think Cheese

2011-03-23T23:38:00.003-05:00

There are a lot of killer reasons to live in/near Madison, WI, but this event is especially cool. Botanical gardens AND artisan Wisconsin cheese? So, so awesome.

25 Best Cheeses of Wisconsin
April 16, 2011, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison, Wis. Which do you think are the 25 Best Cheeses of Wisconsin? Discover and taste the favorites selected by Wisconsin Cheese Originals at this artisan cheese tasting. As part of admission, each attendee will take home a 24- x 36-inch numbered art print, suitable for framing, showcasing a glamour shot of the 25 Best Cheeses of Wisconsin.
Tickets are $35.00

I mean, just check out the cheese-tastic photo shoot they've lined up for the poster! Can you imagine having 500 lbs of artisan cheese delivered to your front door? I can't attend, but I'm gonna do my damnedest to get my paws on one of those posters.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Valentine's Day Treat: Red Velvet Pancakes

2011-02-14T19:45:00.001-06:00

I whipped these lovelies up for Valentine's Day. Two hours of mixing and flipping (along with a terrible cold) made the preparation a bear, but it was worth it for the smile on my love's face. Plus, it was fun to wear my cute, vintage apron and pumps. Not interested in cooking? Grab a stack in Eden Prairie without the fuss.

Elizabeth’s Pick: Red Velvet Pancakes - Dara & Co. - February 2011 - Minnesota

I know. How’s that for a headline? Better than red velvet cupcakes if you ask me. These beauties are courtesy of The Herb Box, the Scottsdale-based chain that’s taken over David Fhima’s Zahtar at Eden Prairie Lifetime Fitness. Not only is the health-conscious restaurant open to the public, but the hotcakes are yours for the making—just in time for Valentine’s Day. (P.S. Other deceivingly indulgent items on The Herb Box’s menu include brown sugar pork ciabatta, market street short rib tacos, and smoked trout beignets.)

HERB BOX RED VELVET PANCAKES
By Chef Becky Windels

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. organic white sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cage free large eggs, lightly beaten
3 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. crème fraiche
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp. all natural red food coloring
3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. rice bran oil

Directions: In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet and dry together and whisk just until combined. Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium high heat. When hot, add butter or oil to grease, followed by a small scoop of the batter. Wait for the pancakes to bubble (2-3 minutes), flip and cook for a minute or two more. Garnish with mascarpone spread and Grand Marnier syrup.
Yield: Approx. 18 mid-size pancakes

MASCARPONE SPREAD
8 oz. softened mascarpone
4 oz. crème fraiche
1/4 c. organic white sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk together to combine.
Yield: Approx. 14 oz

GRAND MARNIER SYRUP
2 c. organic sugar
2 c. water
1/2 c. organic orange concentrate
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 c. Grand Marnier
Slurry organic corn starch

Directions: Heat all ingredients to dissolve. Add cornstarch as needed to thicken.
Yield: One quart

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Raji's Rocket - Superbowl XLV

2011-02-07T09:18:00.002-06:00

Raji's Rocket
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

As the Packer season developed this year, talk of the Super Bowl began to cross our lips. Thinking of Super Bowls past, I recalled my time working at a sandwich shop when I was in high school and college. The Super Bowl meant one thing back then: I'd spend the majority of the day preparing 6ft hoagies.

While telling the story, I mentioned, "if the Packers make it to the Super Bowl, I'll make a 6ft sub."

It came to pass.

Where does one find 6ft loaves of bread in Minneapolis? Wuollet Bakery! With bread on hand and meat and cheese scored from Kramarczuk's, we built a colossal hoagie to celebrate the occasion, and we named it Raji's Rocket, after my favorite Packer this season. 3ft of it was Italian - cappicola, mortadella, and salami with provolone and mozzarella. The othr 3ft was a club - smoked ham, turkey, and bacon with Swiss and cheddar cheese. I even managed to sneak some of my favorite DragSmith Farms micro greens on it.

There was much rejoicing during and after the game, and commemorative Raji's Rocket souveniers, in the form of leftovers, were send home with rejoicing guests.

iPhone Fun with Emoji

2011-01-28T18:24:00.003-06:00

My bro-ham tipped me off to a goofy iPhone app last weekend.
It's called Emoji Free!
It installs an Emoji keyboard onto your iPhone.
SRSLY. Install it and emote me a rainbow...or a cheeseburger.

Check out this video on YouTube for the deets:

[where: Minnesota,, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Objectified: A Film about Manufactured Objects

2011-01-26T17:01:00.000-06:00

Have you peeped this documentary?
It's called Objectified, and it's by Gary Huswit, who also brought us Helvetica.

"Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis."

It's not just about fancy chairs and record players, although it does feature them.
It's about environments, industrial engineering, consumerism, capitalism, identity, production, design, creativity, sustainability, and much more.

It features Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art, New York), Chris Bangle (BMW Group, Munich), Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Paris), Andrew Blauvelt (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis), Tim Brown (IDEO), Anthony Dunne (London), Dan Formosa (Smart Design), Naoto Fukasawa (Tokyo), Jonathan Ive (Apple, California), Hella Jongerius (Rotterdam), David Kelley (IDEO), Bill Moggridge (IDEO), Marc Newson (London/Paris), Fiona Raby (London), Dieter Rams (Kronberg, Germany), Karim Rashid (New York), Alice Rawsthorn (International Herald Tribune), Davin Stowell (Smart Design), Jane Fulton Suri (IDEO), and Rob Walker (New York Times Magazine).

[where: Sustainable, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

These are a Few of My Favorite Things: 2010

2011-01-06T18:30:00.004-06:00

I started doing an annual recap of my favorite eats a few years ago, and it's a blog entry I've always enjoyed writing. It's like looking at a yearbook, but without the "See you next year! Never Change!" crap.

Whether it was dope desserts, or awe-inspiring seafood, or out-of-this world cheese, the best part of my meals was the company - my dashing husband Gerg. The worst part was that I didn't take the time to blog about most of these meals. I wrote a lot for my day job this year, and I had a blast writing for Minnesota Monthly, but I didn't blog about dining at Tru or Topolobampo, and I went bananas at both joints. My resolution this year is to blog more about good food right here at Reetsyburger's Refuge.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So without further delay, here are my top 10 favorite edibles from 2010 in no particular order:

- A Dessert-Only Tasting at Tru in Chicago. This is when they still had their deconstructed chocolate bar dessert on the menu (pictured above). Milk chocolate cream topped with tempered dark chocolate, served with coffee ice cream, caramel mousse, and malted caramel. The tasting also included such indulgences as chocolate-whisky lollipops, passionfruit pâte de fruits, cannelés, macarons, miniature root beer floats, and fruity lollipops as we exited. So gangster.

- The #5 at Black Sheep Pizza. A 12" fennel sausage, hot salami, onion, and cracked green olives pizza with a side of their tangy marinara paired with an alluring glass of Surly Smoke.

- A 1/4 lb of Hook's 15 Year Cheddar with some honeycrisp apple slices and a couple glasses of Hess Collection '19 Block Cuvee' while keeping it real around the island in our kitchen.

- The Ceviche Trio at Topolobampo in Chicago. Ceviche Fronterizo (blue marlin with lime), Ceviche Yucateco (shirmp and calamari with lime and orange), and Ceviche de Atun (ahi tuna with red chile apricot salsa). They also had killer Mexican hot chocolate.

- The Butterscotch Panna Cotta with Seasame Seed Brittle at Parma 8200. It doesn't get better than chilling a on patio with butterscotch decadence under the moonlight on gerg's birthday - with Shannon S. as our server.

- Pan-seared Sea Scallops served with a Surly 2010 Smoke "beer" blanc at Cafe Twenty Eight. It was a special, not a regular menu item. I yapped about those scallops for at least 20 minutes in the car.

- The Cajun Grouper Sandwich at Frenchy's Salt Water Cafe at Clearwater Beach, FL. Fresh, tender grouper, seasoned perfectly on a bun. It certainly helped that it was December and we were kicking it at the beach while a snow emergency raged in Minneapolis.

- The Soft Eggs and Lobster Bruschetta at Bar La Grassa. The soft egg and lobster alone is worth a visit to Bar La Grassa. The Star Tribune even snagged the recipe for us!

- The Blueberry Pancakes at Al's Breakfast. I'd never even attempt to get a spot at Al's on a weekend, but what's more fun on a day off that a fun, kitschy breakfast joint with bomb blueberry pancakes and lots of coffee?

- An 8 course Tasting at Victory 44. The meal was not planned. We stopped in for a quick bite during the week, but 2 hours later, and 8 courses later, an epic meal had taken place. And while I never blogged about the night, I did write everything down! Here's all that we were served: 1) Sweet potato soup with candied walnuts, 2) Crispy mashed potato fries with bacon, salt, and fennel, 3) Beef carpaccio with red onion sunchoke parsnip fennel escaviche paired with Les Trois Couronnes coates du rhone, 4) Leek soup with beet and honey foam paried with a Trentadue zinfindel blend, 5) Truffle froth mushroom powder porcini angolotti paired with a Stephen Vincent cabernet blend, 6) Scotch egg with pickled radish and onion aoli paired with an Alta Vista malbec, 7) House made chorizo with fried polenta and a demi with scallop and bacon paired with a Nero D'avolo villa pozzi, 8) Dessert Plate: Marshmallow fluff brittle brownies, a brownie with hazelnut butter, some chocolate mousse, a semi fredo cookie, a cheesecake noodle, a chocolate cake with cherry caramel, and tres leches. All paired with Henkel Cuveé Brut.

Other edibles of note:
- Punch had a serious salad special one night. It was a plate of arugula and a ball of burrata with cracked pepper and sea salt.
- A juicy, grassfed beef burger at The Inn.
- The King's Breakfast at King's Wine Bar. best overhard fried egg I've ever had. .
- Countless bowls of Pho at Pho 79, Quang, and Ngon Vietnamese Bistro.
- Food made by friends: Shannon's BLTs, Sarah's German Chocolate birthday cake, David's Boeuf Bourguignon, Aimee's chocolate torte, Monica's potato salad, Jason's lamb, Dan's ham, and so much more!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Breaksea Upcycle's Awesome Mittens

2010-12-17T10:20:00.004-06:00

I saw some totally awesome mittens at No Coast Craft-o-rama this month. I didn't buy them because I just got a new pair of gloves, but now I can't stop thinking about them.

Breaksea Upcycle's makes mittens locally using recylced pants, and so the mittens have a handy pocket! The pair I tried on were all cozy and fleecy on the inside, and I was like "OH SNAP! These are some awesome mittens!" I tried them on, took them off, walked away, walked back, tried them on again, looked at them longingly, and then walked away again.

If you're like me and saw them, and still want them, you can buy them on their website, or locally at I Like You, The Wedge, and Seward Co-op.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Cheese Underground Sponsors Cheese Limerick Contest

2010-12-13T12:39:00.001-06:00

Cheese Underground Sponsors Cheese Limerick-Writing Contest:

From Cheese Underground:

Writing about cheese is fun and I think more of you should try it.

That's why I'm sponsoring a Cheese Limerick Contest. The winner gets an autographed copy (by all 12 cheesemakers) of the 2011 Portrait of a Wisconsin Artisan Cheesemaker. If that's not enough to inspire you, then this cheese limerick by Christine Perfetti should:

There once was a woman from Oregon,
who really liked eating her parmesan.
She said with much glee,
"I'm in love with my cheese."
And her friends thought,"oh what a moron."

Here are the rules:

1. Write a cheese limerick.
2. Email it to me with your mailing address before 5 p.m. on Dec. 16.
3. A bunch of my friends will sit around my dining room table, eating cheese, drinking the leftover sake in my fridge from my cheese festival, and pick the winner.
4. I will then mail the winner the super cool autographed calendar, but probably wait until the next morning when I'm sober so I don't send it to Siberia.

See, wasn't that easy?

Oh yeah, the winning entry will also be published on this blog. So send me some good cheese limericks, people!

Visit Cheese Underground Blog for Cheese Limerick-Writing Contest!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Wood from Your Hood - a Great Gift

2010-12-08T18:44:00.007-06:00

image from BuyLocal, MN

For our first wedding anniversary, my husband presented me with a portrait from our wedding.

What made the gift extra-special, in addition to his adorable face, was the frame he selected.
The frame was from Wood from the Hood .

What is Wood from the Hood? Here in the Twin Cities, Cindy Siewert, her husband Rick, and Jonathan Buck, collect and mill lumber from local trees that would otherwise be turned into mulch or firewood. That lumber comes from trees that have fallen naturally, cut down because of disease, or removed for new construction.

The Wood From the Hood frame that gerg gave me even had a zipcode stamped on it: 55406. It was the zipcode from the neighborhood where we lived when we were first married. SO SWEET.

So you're probably doing some shopping right about now, what with the holidays upon us. Consider a Wood from the Hood product: a photo frame, cutting board, coaster set, or cribbage board. The craftsmanship is lovely, the sentiment is charming, and your gift supports a locally operated business that is doing something really special with trees from our own neighborhoods.

Retailers include:
Mill City Museum
Bibelot Shops
The Wedge
Mother Earth Gardens
Linden Hills Natural Hom
Seward Co-op
CorAzoN
Brown & Greene
Peapods
Interior Motive

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Fighting the Cold—with Punch!

2010-12-01T12:57:00.000-06:00

Fighting the Cold—with Punch - Dara & Co. - December 2010 - Minnesota

Earlier this week, the cold and the snow had me feeling a bit grumpy. I looked to my icon and fighting guru Bruce Lee for a better way to deal with this nonsense, and I remembered this valuable quote, “Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch.”

I’m ready to strike against the cold creeping up my fingers, but my punches are coming from the kitchen—in the form of hot toddies and fun punches. *POW*

Although we first started calling punch by its name in 1632, there are countless variations of the drink that keep it relevant today. Whether it’s served up as an apéritif in porcelain or featured as the main event at a house party, punch is practical, group-friendly, and fun to make. *BAM*

Why not take the opportunity to feature the juice of the season, apple cider, in a warm, satisfying punch? I’ve even whipped up a recipe for you. *BANG*

*WHAM* Wassail
(i.e. Punch when you have to punch)
Serves 6

7 cups apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
6-8 whole star anise
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of allspice
1.5 cups Cointreau®

In a large dutch oven, bring all of the ingredients (except the Cointreau) to a low boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for an hour. Serve hot; spike with Cointreau. Garnish with whole cinnamon sticks and star anise.

Not prepared to make your own hot toddy at home? I know a place where they’ll fight the cold for you: Head to W.A Frost. There, you can warm your fingers with their amazing Star Anise Hot Toddy, which features their star anise and clove house-infused brandy.

Star anise not your thing? No problem. Try a cup of their Hot Buttered Pumpkin, Mulled Wine, Wassail Bowl, Hot Apple Pie, or Irish Coffee instead. And just in case your fighting form needs a break from the booze, they’ve got more than a dozen hot tea offerings and several varieties of USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified coffees. *BOOM*

Are you ready to fight back against winter’s chill? What’s your secret punch recipe? Who’s serving up a butt-kicking hot toddy in your neighborhood?

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Notes From the Shop: Vise Restoration

2010-11-12T01:06:00.001-06:00

Wilton vise restoration
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

Gerg had a nasty rust-coated Wilton vise. It had mad potential, but the beast was coated in thick rust.

He used electrolysis (which involved a battery charger and some super washing soda) to remove the rust and then I gave it a fresh coat of paint.

Looks and works great now!

Boo-yah!

Documentary: The Minneapolis Wrestling Club

2010-11-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Yo, you got 17 minutes?

You'll need 17 minutes to watch this dope documentary about wrasslin' in Minneapolis.

If you know me, you know homegirl's a bit scrappy. For a two-month in my late teens, I considered taking up professional wrestling. My wrestling name was Luscious EsQuefunka. I had big plans for a purple satin cape with sequins. Needless to say, the following documentary has a lot of appeal for a bruiser like me.

The Minneapolis Wrestling Club from Site-Specific Documentary on Vimeo.

The Minneapolis Wrestling Club is a 16mm documentary film about four old-school, Midwestern professional wrestlers. With roots in vaudeville and the carnival sideshow, early professional wrestlers were a rare combination of athlete, circus performer and thug.

Featuring: Joe Snyder, "The Texas Midget", Sodbuster Kenny Jay, Stan "Krusher" Kowalski, and Eddie Sharkey.

Directed by John Lightfoot

Copyright Site-Specific Documentary, 1998

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Mad SICK Wig

2010-10-21T20:45:00.000-05:00

Yo! Check out this SICK wig.

I really wanted a Marie Antoinette-style wig for this party we were hosting, so I went online and found my gal at Sweet Hayseed's Wearable Wonders! I contacted her with my dreams and my budget and she came up with a brilliant wig.

Seriously, I love it. I might start wearing it around the house. It makes me smile. It also makes my sister smile, apparently.

She designs all kinds of wacky wigs and other hair accessories. She's legit. For real. She's even done some work for Prince Poppycock.

I think it's gonna be my new thing. Outrageous wigs. Word.

[where: Minnesota, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

A Little Love Letter from the New Owners at Former Pop!! NE Location

2010-10-19T13:43:00.002-05:00

A note has been posted on the window of the former Pop!! location in NE Minneapolis. I noted it a couple weeks ago, but finally grabbed a snapshot of it on Saturday morning while sipping a dirty chai from Coffee Shop NE .

Former NE Pop!! Location
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

Dear Neighbors and Future Customers,

We're thrilled to be the new owners of this restaurant. We're giving it a new name, look, and menu.

Our family has been in the business for decades and you can expect great food, reasonable prices, and outstanding service.

Thank you for your patience while we perform some small construction. We will open as soon as possible and we're very excited to bring our experience and tradition to the Audobon Park neighborhood.

Sincerely,
Adam and Amber(?)Andrew(?)

Five Meals with Fischer Family Farms Pork

2010-09-16T18:25:00.002-05:00

Gerg enjoys a slice of Fischer Family Farms Pulled Pork Pizza

Gerg and I purchased a 6lb Fischer Family Farms Pork shoulder roast. Such good news.

Before we proceeded, we realized this piece of meat would likely sustain us for almost a week (with some non-pork meals in between), so we planned a to get about 5-6 meals worth out of one roast. I suppose could easily freeze the pulled pork after preparing it if you didn't want to eat pulled pork all week. We managed to eat pulled pork all week and not get bored.

Cooking the Roast

We used a simple preparation to cook the meat, since we wanted it to be adaptable to several recipes:

Fischer Farms pork shoulder roast, about 6 pounds
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups water
1 bottle (24 ounces) of New Glarus Enigma
salt
pepper

Place half of the thinly sliced onions in bottom of slow cooker; add pork, water, and 12 oz of beer. Top with remaining onion slices. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the roast, shred the pork into pieces in a separate container. Drink the other 12 oz of beer. Word!

Preparing the Meals

Meal One:
Kansas City-style BBQ pulled Pork Sandwich

Scoop up 8oz of the prepared pulled pork, place it on a whole grain roll, top it with Kansas City style sauce and old fashioned coleslaw.

We served ours with roasted brussels sprouts on the side, which are the bomb-diggity.

Roasted brussels sprouts:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in upper third.

Cut brussel sprouts in half, lengthwise. Toss brussels sprouts with olive oil, truffle salt, and pepper. Arrange, cut sides down, in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast, without turning, until outer leaves are tender and very dark brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Meal Two: (fast lunch for two)
BBQ pulled pork open-faced sandwich with SweeTango apple slices.

Warm 8oz of the leftover pulled pork, place it on a piece of whole grain toast, and top it with BBQ sauce. Slice up some SweeTangos for a sweet and snappy side dish.

Meal Three:
Pulled Pork Gyozas (potstickers) with Steamed Vegetables

16 oz. pulled pork
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 thumb-size piece of ginger
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. dark sesame oil
1 pack of gyoza skins (24 skins in each pack)
1 cup shredded cabbage (we left it out since we had coleslaw and brussels sprouts the day before)

Finely chop the green onions. Grate the ginger and garlic cloves. Mix all the ingredients (except for the gyoza skins and oil for frying) in a bowl. Let the meat marinate for about an hour, if possible. There are many methods for cooking gyoza. I like this one: http://www.doobybrain.com/2010/04/10/cooking-yaki-gyoza-with-a-dog/

We served our gyoza with steamed sugar snap peas, carrots, and broccoli. Serve with unfiltered sake FTW.

Meal Four:
Pulled Pork Pizza (makes 2 10" pizzas)

Prepare a crust or buy some pizza dough.

Our basic pizza dough:
1 cup warm water
1/4 ounce yeast (about 2 tsp)
1 tsp honey
2 tsp truffle olive oil
1 tsp truffle salt
3 tbsp corn meal

Place the yeast and honey into the warm water. Stir other ingredients together. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until combined. Form into a dough ball. Let the dough rise in a covered bowl until it doubles. Beat it down. Roll it out. Sprinkle your pizza pan with cornmeal. Place the rolled out crust on the pan (slightly prebake the crust before adding toppings if you want a super crunchy crust).

Top the crust in the following order with pulled pork, sliced red peppers, sliced crimini mushrooms, diced cipollini onions, fresh grated garlic, fresh sliced mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan. Serve with your favorite sauce on the side, dude. We made our sauce with rosemary and basil, and it was boss.

We served our pizza with basil vodka lemonades.

Meal Five: Leftover pizza (fast lunch for two)

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Sweet! A Heritage Festival for Bohemians like Me!

2010-09-10T13:20:00.002-05:00

Growing up Bohemian meant a few things for me: my grandma swearing under her breath in a foreign language, delicious pastries with strange names that were unknown to my grade school pals, and everybody making gypsy jokes.

We certainly didn't have a festival in my small town, so I was pretty excited when I read about this upcoming event. Perhaps they'll have apricot and/or poppyseed kolaches like my grandma used to make...

Sokol Minnesota’s annual Czech and Slovak Festival returns to the Highland Park Pavilion, 1200 Montreal Avenue, Saint Paul, Sunday, September 19from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. This colorful festival features Czech and Slovak food, costumed dancers, the Sokol Singers, as well as the Zuhrah Shrine Band!

The Food

This year’s menu features a wonderful selection of tasty authentic Czech and Slovak recipes including Slovak halušky s kapustou (dumplings with sauerkraut) and holubky (cabbage rolls); potato or cheese pirohy (dumplings), Czech žebírka (pork ribs), kurací paprikáš s knedlíkem (chicken paprika with dumplings), and Bohemian jitrnice (sausage). This year’s version of this wonderful pork sausage comes from Montgomery, Minnesota, where it is made with pearl barley. Not to be missed are oblozené chlebícky (open-faced sandwiches) made-to-order with cold cuts, eggs, cheese, or mayonnaise-based salads such as ham, pea, or potato. Booya is back! Made from the time-tested Sokol Camp (Pine City) recipe, the booya is for sale in individual servings or in bulk. The Sweet Shop has a wonderful selection of kolache (pastries), potica (a Slovak walnut and poppy seed delicacy), cookies, and other treats. Beverage selections include wine, beer, and specially brewed root beer.

The Program

The festival program reflects centuries of Czech and Slovak traditions. The Festival opens with recordings of beautiful folksongs brought over from the old country, including many sung by our own Sokol Minnesota Senior Singers. Under the direction of Georgiana Dolejsi, they share not only beautiful melodies, but also use the correct pronunciation of the mother-tongues and offer the true spirit of all the songs.

The theme of folk music will run through the program, 11:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. with concertinas and the Zuhrah Shrine Band. Musical selections of middle European marches follow the presentation of the national flags and our American, Czech, and Slovak anthems. Musicians are invited to bring accordions or concertinas . Everyone can enjoy a beer and lend their voices to the singing.

After a welcome from Sokol Minnesota President Joe Landsberger, the program highlights Sokol's message of a healthy mind in a healthy body. The adult exercise group performs a prostna that it performed last year in Fort Worth, Texas, and again this summer in Spillville, Iowa. A prostna is a callisthenic drill performed at slets (literally, gatherings of Sokols, or falcons). The first slet in Prague in 1882 celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Sokol organization; slets continue to this day through out the world.

What is music without dance? Our Sokol Minnesota children’s groups, under the direction of Louise Wessinger, perform in three age groups. The Mlada Skupina (young group) love to sing and dance. The grade-school-age children, Taneční Mládež (Dancing Youth) tackle dances with more difficult steps and sequences, and the Taneční Teens enjoy dances that challenge their abilities. This year the boys created a dance using stilts, and the girls countered with a dance using haying rakes (rabe) from Bohemia.

The St. Paul Czech and Slovak Folk Dancers are looking forward to their 50^th Anniversary in 2012 with a project called 50 for 50, as in 50 dances for 50 years. They perform a trio of dances presented earlier this year at the Festival of Nations demonstrating the Czech passion for music and dance. Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota 2010, Debbie Jindra of Montgomery, Minnesota, performs a Moravian folkdance used in her competition.

Vendors and Exhibits

Craft vendor booths include Sokol Minnesota’s Krásné Dárky (Beautiful gifts) gift shop with special items, t-shirts, and books, including the Sokol Minnesota Cookbook, and Sokol Minnesota Sings songbooks, CDs, and tapes, with Sokol marching, folk, and patriotic songs in Czech, Slovak, and English. Anita Smisek, an avid singer and collector of Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak folksongs and music will sell her CDs and sheet music. Anita says that if you want to know a culture, you must experience its music.

Informational community kiosks will include the Czech-Slovak Genealogical Society International and a Healthy West 7^th display by United Family Medicine’s community clinic program.

Join Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota to celebrate 150 years of Czech and Slovak presence in the West End of Saint Paul. The Highland Park Pavilion seats 200, giving protection from rain and sun, as well as wide-open views to the park. Additional outdoor seating and a children’s play area are nearby. For more information call 651-297-9000 or email events@sokolmn.org

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

A Greener Visit to the MN State Fair

2010-08-25T15:01:00.001-05:00

A Greener Visit to the MN State Fair - Dara & Co. - August 2010 - Minnesota (cross post)

The Minnesota State Fair is almost underway, and once again has a lot to offer in terms edible and educational opportunities in 2010. This year at the fair you can learn more about how we can reduce our impact on the environment by how we maintain our diets, homes, and communities. Below I've put together a list of events and food items that can give your annual fair experience a new, greener twist.

Attend Minnesota Cooks on Tuesday, August 31
Minnesota Cooks is an annual local food event that shares information about local farmers, local food, and local chefs. The program, which runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m., is broken into hour-long segments. Each hour, two local chefs are paired with a local farmer and local ingredients. The chefs create dishes to feed celebrity tasters and provide samples to hungry audience members. They share information and field questions from the audience. I've attended the past three years and have learned a lot about local foods in Minnesota. Stop by Carosel Park and learn more about food made in our state.

Stop by the Eco-Experience
Presented by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Eco-Experience showcases renewable energy and exhibits on air, water, land, green buildings, organic agriculture, and renewable energy. Check out the Sustainability Stage schedule for daily events.

Visit the Minnesota Grown Booth
The Minnesota Grown booth educates fair-goers about the diversity of Minnesota products and where people can find them. It's located in the ag/hort building.

Sample Locally Produced Food:
Wild rice burgers, wild rice sausage, waffle fries, and wild rice corndogs at Minnesota Wild Rice Specialties
Minnesota wild rice sausages with beef or pork and jalapeno cheese at Sausage by Cynthia
Buffalo kabobs at Minnekabob
Minnesota wine, ice cream, and sausage made with Minnesota wine at MN Wine Country
Bison jerky and meat sticks from the MN Buffalo Association
Elk meat cookbooks, elk jerky, elk snack sticks, and elk summer sausage from MN Elk Breeders
Minnesota apples, apple cider, apple sauce, and frozen cider pop from MN Apples
Honey (liquid, spun, creamed, comb, whipped) in glass and plastic containers, honey jams, honey jellies, honey candy, cookies, ice cream, honey nut fudge ice cream, and honey nut frozen yogurt from MN Honey Producers Association
Consider Public Transportation
Free parking with free bus service to the fairgrounds is available at various locations within a short distance of the fairgrounds. Park & Ride operated, 8 a.m.-midnight, daily.

Consider Biking
This bike map shows the location of the State Fair bike corrals and recommends routes.

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

I Heart my Penguin

2010-08-19T18:35:00.001-05:00

I'll admit it. I have a thing for sparkling water. However, my passion for sparkling water was beginning to conflict with my passions for reducing waste and saving moo-la.

Therefore, as a yuletide gift in December, gerg lovingly bestowed upon me a SodaStream Penguin.

I was a touch overwhelmed when I opened the box because it was so mysterious and different. I was all like, "It doesn't use electricity, it uses carbonators. What the hell is a carbonator? Is that what's in the Guinness can?"

Well, it was easier than pie to assemble, and we've been using it regularly for months now, and for the following reasons, we like it:

We can make as much sparkling water we want, on demand, baby.
We can use tap water.
It arrived with 2 attractive glass carafes for storage and use. Perfect for the fridge and for table settings.
Our friends and family like learning how to use it - instant party favor.
The carbonators last a long time. My first one just ran out after 8 months of use. It ships with 2 carbonators, so we're set for awhile.
It's shaped like a penguin, and it honks at you when the carafe is properly carbonated.
It's kind of like a robot, and I dig robots.
After a year's worth of use, it will have paid for itself.

Now that the first carbonator is empty, we'll need to exchange it sometime soon. We know we can do it through the SodaStream website, but if you know of a local option for exchanging the carbonators, please holler at me.

FYI, the thing in the Guinness can is a patented widget: "The purpose of the widget is to release the CO₂ from some of the beer in the can to create the head. The widget is a plastic, nitrogen-filled sphere with a tiny hole in it."

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

We Need so Damn Many Things To Keep our Dazed Lives Going

2010-08-18T15:23:00.004-05:00

Walking around Uptown, I heard a AC unit wigging out, and it reminded me of the first few bars of the Stereolab track below. Upon re-listening, I remembered that Stereolab is totally boss. I dig jazzy math rock beats. SERIOUSLY.

"Brakhage" by Stereolab

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Why I Love Cooking With Dog

2010-08-12T14:05:00.002-05:00

When I was a kid, I watched the Frugal Gourmet and Yan Can Cook on Saturday mornings instead of cartoons. (I actually wrote a letter to Jeff Smith asking him why he used granite instead of marble for his pastry board - I'll find it and post it).

I wasn't allowed to cook much, but I was always underfoot in the kitchen observing. As my mom and dad lugged their instruments out of the house to head to band practice, I plotted and raided the kitchen, fixing silly recipes based on what my mom had in the pantry and refrigerator.

When my best friend's mom married a chef I was so pumped...until I learned that by the time he got home, he was burned out, and kept to cooking simple recipes. Still, I learned a lot from him about the magic of tomato paste.

Finally, in 2nd grade, I decided I was going to be a chef.

This decision was firm until my junior year of high school, when I met a chef who gave me some advice, "If you want a family, and you want to live a normal life, save cooking for a hobby. I work every night, every weekend, every holiday. I never see my kid." My stomach knotted. Yes, I loved cooking, but was I willing to sacrifice my other dreams to become a chef?

I talked it over with my mom, and we agreed that I would pursue my other interest - writing. That worked out, in the long run. I write for a living, and most of what I write about is related to agriculture and food. I consider that a win.

My enthusiasm for cooking remains. My kitchen is my other refuge, and I have a real passion for learning about ingredients, from who grew this tomato to how a handle bone-in short rib.

And while I watch cooking programs, I still mainly watch the PBS programs - America's Test Kitchen, Mexico - One Plate at a Time, and Avec Eric are among my favorites.

I was recently introduced to this YouTube cooking program, which reminds me of the shows I watched as a kid on PBS. It's simple, straight-forward, and focuses on showing a home cook how to prepare something special.

Plus, the dog is hilarious.

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Sweet Cover! Wicked Game (Chris Isaak 8-bit cover)

2010-07-20T10:37:00.002-05:00

I dig this cover immensely. Perhaps more than the original.
We spent a good amount of time doing impressions of Chris Isaak when we were kids.
There's just something about those crazy slides he does...

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Tami Chynn & Tifa - Certified Diva (Official Video)

2010-07-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am obsessed with this masterpiece.

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Can you sing? Do you know what I mean?

2010-06-23T18:28:00.001-05:00

A gal pal of mine just moved to the Twin Cities and has been hitting Craigslist looking for jobs in hospitality, mainly serving or bar tending.

We stumbled upon an ad looking for a waitress immediately in a lounge-style atmosphere in St Paul - it included a phone number for "Jeff". Now, we've had mostly very positive experiences with Craiglist, so I wasn't particularly concerned with the brief nature of the ad.

She called. I sat next to her on the sofa reading "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," and sipping iced tea, but mostly I eavesdropped on her call.

Here's what went down, in a nutshell:

She: I saw your posting for a waitress job on Craigslist.
He: Right, yes. How old are you?
She, with puzzled look on her face: Um, 32....
He: Where are you from?
She : ...the Midwest.
He: Can you sing?
She: Can I sing?
He: Yeah, can you sing?
She: Well, I can, but not very well. Where are you located?
He: I don't need you to sing well, but I can't have you be shy. Do you know what I mean??
She: .........
He: Basically, you'll be entertaining guests in their rooms. Do you know what I mean??
She: Um, ok.
He: Meet me at ____ hotel in Little Canada.
She: Not likely.

She hangs up.
We're still laughing about it.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

French Expressions 101: Quelle bonne idée!

2010-05-07T18:05:00.001-05:00

Back when I was obtaining my liberal arts undergraduate education, I studied French for 4 semesters, which means that I memorized a bunch of french, took tests, and retained a bit of it.

For the record, my French skillz eventually proved valuable when we were in Ireland and attempting to determine the dress code for one of the links courses there (golf), and the only golfers we ran into were French and drunk at a pub.

One thing I remember in particular from my 4 semesters of French, was Dr. Yvette Guillemin-Young's, lesson on the following french gesture:

When someone tells you something that's complete hogwash, this is an appropriate gesture while saying, "Mon œil!" or "As if!" or "Whatever dude!" or "Pfft" or "Yeah right!" or "BS!"

You've always wanted to know all about French gestures and how to use them. N'est-ce pas?

Voila:
http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa020901a.htm

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Dining Out for Life Tonight

2010-04-29T11:48:00.003-05:00

Don't forget to stop at your favorite local restaurant for Dining Out for Life tonight.

From Dining Out for Life:

This year, over 155 participating restaurants
in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Red Wing and Rochester
have agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds
to The Aliveness Project, a local nonprofit organization
that provides on-site meals, food shelf
& other supportive services
for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Last year's Dining Out for Life raised $127,000 in donations from restaurants, sponsors and individual diners!
This year, our goal is $130,000!

For a complete list of restaurants in our area, click here:

http://www.diningoutforlife.com/minneapolis/participating

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Black Sheep Pizza

2010-04-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

We finally had a weekday off in early April, and the first thought that crossed my mind (besides sleeping in) was having lunch at Black Sheep Pizza. Gerg was all for that, as a pizza lover.

Black Sheep makes their pizza in a coal-fired oven, and they're burning Anthracite coal, which burns relatively cleanly with little soot, making it ideal for their purpose. They're making their sausage and meatballs in house. They source their cheese from Wisconsin. Black Sheep founder Jordan Smith was quoted in a piece by Heavy Table:

“I try to buy local ingredients where it’s applicable, and do business with local vendors so that the dollars stay in our local economy. Sometimes it gets overlooked how critical that piece is, in the buy-local movement. I’m not going to get olive oil from Minnesota. But I can buy my olive oil from a local company as opposed to a multinational company like US Foodservice or Sysco.

That's the kind of philosophy I like to support. It makes me wonder if they're aware of Valli dell'Etna Olive Oil, a family-run olive oil business with distribution in Minneapolis?

I digress. Back to the pizza.

We'd heard that the wait can be long at Black Sheep, so we thought a weekday lunch would be the best option. When we arrived at 1:30pm on a Monday, there were two tables of couples enjoying pizza, and a couple of people at the bar. "Huzzah!" thought I, "This plan is going splendidly."

After looking over the menu, recalling recommendations from friends, Heavy Table, and a couple other reviews, we settled on a starter of roasted vegetables.

The roasted vegetables were mighty in flavor. The onions melted in my mouth. The mushrooms were packed with tangy, garlicky flavor. They were served with a surprise dollop of goat cheese. We ordered them with a side of their savory and zesty marinara.

As for our entree, we selected the 12" fennel sausage, hot salami, onion and cracked green olives pizza.
The flavorful crust was chewy and a bit crunchy and handled the ingredients with aplomb. Green olives and hot salami are bold in flavor, but the star of the pizza show was the house made fennel sausage, which brought a balance to the other salty ingredients. With their zesty marinara doing its thing in the middle, we had a winning combination on our hands and in our bellies.

Find your winning combination!
Black Sheep Pizza
600 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(612) 342-2625

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

A New Gig

2010-04-16T19:00:00.001-05:00

After a few phone conversations and a handful of emails with Minnesota Monthly's dining critic and senior editor Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, Elizabeth Dehn, Jason DeRusha, Stephanie Meyer, and I have teamed up with her to write Minnesota Monthly's Dara&Co blog.

My team role: MNMO's sustainable food correspondent.

I'm looking forward to my role, which involves writing about interesting local producers and products and sustainable practices.

You can read my first blog post here: http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Blogs/Dear-Dara/April-2010/Heirloom-Season-Has-Begun/

I intend to continue blogging here in addition to my day job and the work I'll be doing for Minnesota Monthly. So it seems that all of my days and many of my nights will be devoted to reading, researching, and writing about sustainable agriculture and sustainable foods, and I'm definitely not complaining about that.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Truffle Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2010-03-30T17:38:00.005-05:00

The kind folks at Marx Foods sent me some Selezione Tartufi, Natural Black Truffle Salt.

This salt blend is made by blending Italian sea salt with black winter truffles from Abruzzo that have been fast-dehydrated instead of dried. Marx Foods says dehydrating the truffles preserves the truffle's flavor and aroma far better than drying. The sea salt is harvested from the salt caves of Emilia Romagna . 5% black summer truffles from Abruzzo comprise the finished salt blend. The salt is fine ground and, as I understand, contains no anti-clumping agents.

The salt has been a great addition to our kitchen, and most recently made its way into a roasted potato dish.

Truffle Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

10 Norland Red potatoes
3 tbsp black truffle oil
2 tsp Selezione Natural Black Truffle Salt
2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp black pepper

Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces.

Toss the pieces with 3 tbsp black truffle oil, 2 tsp Selezione Natural Black Truffle Salt, 2 tsp rosemary, and 2 tsp black pepper.

Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400.

Once the oven is preheated, bake the potatoes for 30 minutes at 400. After 15 minutes has lapsed, stir the potatoes, and re-spread in a single layer. Finish baking for the remaining 15 minutes.

Broil on high for the last 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with additional Selezione Natural Black Truffle Salt (to taste).

We served our taters with grilled salmon and asparagus, and received high fives and thumbs up.

Noteworthy:
Not all truffle oils are created equally. Sabatino Tartufi manufactures theirs using real truffles. Read more about synthetically manufactured truffle oils here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/dining/16truf.html

Order some Selezione Tartufi, Natural Black Truffle Salt from Marx Foods: http://www.marxfoods.com/

Hook's 15-Year Cheddar: Worth It

2010-03-08T18:08:00.000-06:00

Remember back when I wrote about how excited I was for Hook's 15-year cheddar to make its way to Minneapolis?

In case you don't remember, I was excited: http://www.reetsyburger.com/2010/02/dude-man-cheese.html

Well, it made its way to Surdyk's Liquor Store and Gourmet Cheese Shop, and thus I made my way to Surdyk's twice since then to procure some.

While some aged cheddars take on an extremely bitter quality, most likely brought on by the temperature being raised during the aging process, the marginal bitterness of the Hook's 15-year is balanced with sourness and saltiness expected in cheddar cheese. Like so many aged cheeses that I enjoy, the lactic acid has crystallized in the Hook's 15-year forming a few crunchy bits of calcium lactate, the crystals ranging in color from darkish yellow to almost white. Overall, the cheese has a balanced, intense, cheddar flavor. It's only slightly crumbly.

It's $60 per lb, so I budgeted for it, forsaking other indulgences. It was worth it. It's good cheese, dude.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Amici Pizza and Bistro Open in NE MPLS

2010-02-28T13:07:00.007-06:00

The week before we moved to our new NE neighborhood, Snap Pizza closed, which kind of bummed us out. We're anxious to learn more about Amici Pizza and Bistro, which is opening today at 4:30 in the former Snap location in NE MPLS.

While stopping for coffees at Audubon, we hopped across the street to check out the menu posted in the window this morning.

I'll likely write more about Amici latron this spring.

Notes:
Brussels sprouts are being served with the roasted chicken entree (hooray!)
Izzy's ice cream is on the dessert menu
Anchovies and prosciutto are two of the pizza topping options
A kid's menu
No beer or wine yet

Amici Pizza and Bistro
2851 Johnson St. NE

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

NY Times' Totally Decent Explanation of the Complex World of Ice Skating Deductions.

2010-02-23T18:05:00.004-06:00

Check out the NY Times' totally decent explanation of the complex world ice skating deductions.

Figure skating isn't my favorite Winter Olympic sport to watch, but I started watching figure skating with my materfamilias as a youth, so there's some nostalgia associated with it for me.

I remember being totally shocked about the Kerrigan/Harding scandal; screaming in the living room for Kristi Yamaguchi, standing by as Brian Boitano's thighs got huge over the span of his career; noting my brother getting hot and bothered over Nicole Bobek; smiling at Surya Bonaly's flips; and debating with moms over Debbie Thomas's costume decisions.

Like most of y'all, I couldn't figure out how someone who fell on their butt could beat out a skater who landed all of his/her jumps. This NY Times article elucidates some of the deductions that are difficult for the TV viewing audience to notice.

Check out some of the other interactive graphics developed by the NY Times to help us better understand the complexities of some of these Olympic events.

Go team USA!!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

From Medicine Cabinet to Concealed Jewelry Cabinet!!

2010-02-17T18:05:00.002-06:00

In the last issue of This Old House Magazine, they converted an old medicine cabinet into a message center.

Since we had just redecorated our bedroom and hadn't devised a solution for storing jewelry, we converted an old bathroom medicine cabinet to a jewelry cabinet concealed behind a piece of art.

This Old House hung the cabinet on the wall instead of recessing it into the wall, but the idea of a hidden jewelry compartment appealed to us.

See our photo set of the project here: www.flickr.com/photos/gergistheword/sets/72157623424007730/

Read This Old House's plan here: www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20339190,00.html

I heart the Olympics

2010-02-12T18:10:00.000-06:00

As with every other Olympics, I am pumped for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

I used to print out these insane spreadsheets that had the times and dates of the events, so I wouldn't miss my favorite athletes or events. I'd keep it in my purse, in the event that I needed to tune in outside of my house. This year, however, I have an iPhone, and thus, I have the NBC Olympics iPhone App.

So says PR News: "The application lets you view all the events with live real-time updates. The latest news stories, medal counts, schedules, and a lot more are included for your Olympics fix."

I've already got my favorites locked in, so I won't miss a thing over the next 16 days...except when I'm working, sleeping, or bathing.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Dude. Man. Cheese.

2010-02-10T17:45:00.000-06:00

Hear ye! Hear ye! The next batch of 15 year-old, super-aged cheddar from Hook's Cheese Co. in Mineral Point, WI will be available on February 22, 2010!

It will sell for $60 per pound.

FYI, the Hooks sold their first 1,200-pound batch of olden cheddar in fewer than 10 days this year for $50 to $60 a pound locally.

Procurement: http://www.hookscheese.com/March%202010-%2015%20year%20cheddar-WEB%20PAGE.pdf

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Swiss Colony Strikes Again. I. Die.

2010-01-26T17:23:00.002-06:00

SRSLY. I *heart* Swiss Colony.

"Certain to put a smile on your sweetheart's face...each smiling tyke is a fudge- or Swiss creme-enrobed morsel, with a scrumptious toffee filling...."

And that's only the beginning. They have, like, a bazillion more Valentine-y options on their site.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

2009: A Few of My Favorite Edible Things

2010-01-19T18:05:00.003-06:00

Although it's past the time when "best of" lists are released for the previous year, I'm releasing my list of food highlights of 2009 NOW because NOW is the time when I wrote it.

This year marked the end of my graduate school career and a move to NE MPLS. Many meals were grabbed in haste between writing for capstone and driving to Wisconsin for class. Many meals were eaten standing over a box with paint on my hands, hair, and/or clothes.
The repayment of student loans and an increased mortgage payment made the budget tighter.

However, I ate some tasty food last year, and I choose to commemorate it here (in no particular order):

My favorite: while honeymooning last February, we became fond of the red snapper, beans and rice, and potato salad at Off the Reef Conch Shack on Grand Bahama Island (pictured above). I liked ordering food and then combing the beach for seashells while we waited.
Last March, we bade farewell to Fugaise with final supper of monkfish with parsnip, portobello mushroom, and bacon; mussels; rabbit meatball with wild mushroom polenta, roasted belgian endive, and apples; and pork loin with potato rosti, braised escarole, and morel cream.
Lunch was in order during a Saturday afternoon shopping trip to United Noodles. I had the Taiwanese Soy Bean Paste Noodles. Nothing fancy, just noodles simply topped with highly seasoned crumbled bean curd, sliced cucumber, and bean sprouts.
W.A. Frost was offering 1000 points for booking a reservation through Open Table, which was a Friday night bonus. That evening, I enjoyed the Sweet English Pea Risotto served with macadamia nut-yogurt froth, pea tendrils, and black olive oil.
Bar Lurcat offered good deals during restaurant week. On a recommendation, I enjoyed a piece of tender and flaky halibut in prosciutto butter with roasted tomatoes and scallions.
Ngon Vietnamese Bistro has the passion and commitment for fresh, local ingredients I've come to appreciate in a restaurant. I crave their Phở Bò Viên: this version of their rice noodle soup is made with homemade meatballs using all natural 100% grass fed beef.
On a cool afternoon in June, gerg and I decided a big bowl of noodle soup would hit the spot. We headed to Tanpopo Noodle Shop and I had the Nabeyaki Udon Noodles. The noodles float in traditional Japanese soup stock with shrimp tempura, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, fish cake (meh), Japanese omelet, green onion, and wakame.
During restaurant week, I had the Puerco Veracruzana at Masa: roasted pork shoulder marinated with lime, garlic and chile ancho; cooked in banana leaf, served with broiled pineapple in adobo sauce and black bean puree.
Seward Co-op's cheese stuffed bratwurst made tailgating and backyard cookouts tasty last summer. They rotate about 15 different varieties of sausages at Seward.
My job gave me the opportunity to spend some time with Xe Susane Moua of City Backyard Farming. She grows food "locally, organically, and affordably" in Twin Cities' front yards, side yards, backyards, and school yards. At a table beside one of her gardens, she treated me to some fresh post partum chicken soup she had made using a traditional Hmong recipe and herbs she had grown in her garden.
I drive past Abu Nader Deli on my commute to work, and I finally decided to stop to pick up a late lunch for gerg and myself. I like their fresh Shwarma. They take those tender, charred pieces of beef and lamb, stuff a lot of them inside a whole piece of their homemade pocket bread, and then top it off with tomato, onion, and a generous helping of cucumber sauce.
On a trip to Seattle, I stayed at the Hyatt at Olive 8 and dined at Urbane, where Chef Martin selects the ingredients from local Seattle resources. I enjoyed a plate of tasty cheddar from Beecher's cheese; some lardo, salumi salami, and other meats from Salumi Artesian Cured Meats; chicken liver pate; and caramelized onion grilled flat bread.
On my birthday, a couple of pals treated me to a bento box lunch at Obento-ya. The tara black cod bento fillet was naturally seasoned and marinated with an original japanese sake-lees sauce. It was served with steamed white rice, spring greens with house dressing, japanese creamy potato salad, and miso soup. It was my first visit there, but certainly not my last.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

“Inspire” A Tribute to Michael Jackson

2010-01-15T11:39:00.003-06:00

I don't know much about the 7-8 ladies who presented the “Inspire” A Tribute to Michael Jackson performance last night at Bryant Lake Bowl.

I do know they had a lot of heart, and paid tribute to Michael Jackson with humor and respect.
The dancing was inspired and authentic, and a couple of the routines, especially Dirty Diana, were totally solid.

There's another performance tonight:
http://www.bryantlakebowl.com/calendar/shows/%E2%80%9Cinspire%E2%80%9D-tribute-michael-jackson

[where: Minnesota, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Black Garlic Smashed Taters

2009-12-17T12:34:00.005-06:00

Black Garlic Smashed Taters
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

The kind folks at Marx Foods sent me some amazing black garlic to sample awhile back. There's something about garlic and smashed potatoes that makes me happy, so I thought to myself, "how about black garlic smashed taters?"

Black garlic is amazing. It's got a sweet, umami flavor that packs a lighter punch than conventional garlic. It is, in fact, conventional garlic, but it has been fermented at a high temperature for a month, resulting in softened, sweetened, and blackened cloves. Read all about it black garlic here.

Here's how to make the black garlic spuds:

* 3 pounds waxy potatoes, quartered and boiled until tender
* 2 cups half and half
* 3 tbsp butter
* 6 cloves black garlic mashed into bits
* 5 ounces Cheddar
* salt and pepper

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain the pot. Leave spuds in pot.

While that boils, smash up your black garlic.

In a saucepan, warm half and half and butter to a light simmer. When it gets to simmering, turn off the pot and pour it over the spuds. Mash together. Fold in cheese, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

I served mine up with pork tenderloin and green beans.

Welcome, Gabriella!

2009-12-03T11:15:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving this year was all about the baby.

We finally had a chance to meet our new niece, Gabriella.

She is healthy and feeling fine at 6 weeks.

Highlights:

I fed her twice and she didn't puke on me.
She likes to cuddle up close, which is adorable.
She like to sleep and eat, which works well on Thanksgiving.
She rocks Packer fan attire.
She smiled when gerg held her.

Welcome to the world, Gabriella!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Wanna help me win $150? Vote for my photo!

2009-11-23T14:48:00.000-06:00

One of my photos was selected for a photography contest.
The winner receives a $150 gift card.
One of the contenders already has a lot of votes, but I'd like to win!

If you'd like to vote for my photo, you can go here to vote: http://marxfood.com/stunning-vanilla-bean-photos/
The poll closes on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 5PM PST.

Thanks for your support (if you actually vote for my photo)!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

The St. Crispin Autumn Velvet

2009-11-02T17:36:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month Heavy Table hosted a Crispin Cider Autumn Cocktail Contest.

I submitted my entry, which is based on a mix of the traditional black velvet cocktail and the Kir Royale.

I learned today that I won. Hooray!

The St. Crispin Autumn Velvet

One part original Crispin Cider
One part Vouvray -or- Rosé Côtes-du-rhône
A splash of black currant juice

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

New House, New Mural

2009-10-27T20:07:00.002-05:00

You might remember the sweet robot mural we painted in the kitchen at our former abode. If you don't remember, we painted a giant robot on an orange wall in our kitchen. I was down with it in a major way.

We loved that mural, so when we put the ol' house on the market, we risked NOT painting over it. Fortunately, the buyer liked it, and said he intended to keep it. Smiles.

It didn't take long before I started clamoring for a new mural at our new house. Gerg agreed that a mural would enhance our hanging out. Fortunately, Sarah, the artist who painted the robot mural, was more than willing to develop a new mural for the new crib.

My homies know I go big when it comes to aesthetics, from hair to heels. A wall near the front entry revealed itself as the perfect mural wall. Sarah and I investigated big designs. Liz offered to share her overhead projector.

We were able to source all of the paint from our garage, which made this project hella cost-effective. The previous owners of our new house left behinds scads of paint, and we brought our collection from the old house with us. Sarah mixed some colors to achieve some hues. Liz and Sarah worked out the design. I assisted with painting and had a few homework assignments.

We dig the new mural. It's got pizazz.

My Oktoberfest Birthday Bash

2009-10-21T15:37:00.007-05:00

Oktoberfest Birthday Bash 2009
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

This year we celebrated my birthday with our 2nd Annual Oktoberfest Birthday Blitz.

Folks gathered at our house for sausages, snuff, kraut, beer, pretzels, oom-pah music, and cabbage.

After that warm-up, we headed to Gasthof zur Gemütlichkeits for the polka band and lots of revelry. Costumes made the whole night way more hilarious.

Birthday highlights included:
- An amazing German chocolate cake prepared by Shortcake of Shortcake Bakes
- All the killer Oktoberfest outfits
- A bento box lunch with pals
- The Pearson's giant stein and killer sundaes
- Snuff donated by Jana
- That mustard dip
- A romantic dinner at Om
- A pre-party celebration with scarlet at Psycho Suzis
- A cocktail waitress at Gastofs gave me her number; I didn't ask for it.
- Gifts! Wine, bouquets, sequin pants, a vase, earrings, purple dingo boots, a platter, a cupcake, fragrant candles...

View more photos from the night here.

A Name and A Photo

2009-10-12T12:50:00.002-05:00

Gerg's great great granfather Gould
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

This is gerg's great great grandfather.

I've been told his last name was Gould and he was a mayor in England.

I'm trying to learn more about him.

Any history buffs out there?

What's with the cloak and hat? How about the item behind him bearing some resemblance to the English crown?

Our Home has a Medallion!

2009-09-18T17:23:00.010-05:00

Medallion Home
Originally uploaded by gergistheword

On a random Friday afternoon, one of our new neighbors rang our doorbell to invite us over for some steaks. I explained that gerg was still at work, so I grabbed a pencil and paper to get the neighbor's phone number so I could call him once gerg got home. While I was rummaging through the drawer grabbing a pencil, I hear him say something.

Steak neighbor: "Oh! I see you live in a Medallion Home."

Me: "Pardon? A what?"

The steak neighbor pointed to the tarnished medallion on the front of our house under the house number, explaining: "A Medallion Home. These medallions were awarded to certain houses for how they were wired back in the 50s and 60s."

Me: "Really? I had no idea."

Steak neighbor: "Yep. Anyway, let us know if you want steaks."

Me: "Can do, and thanks!"

I never even noticed the medallion, so I looked it up. This is what it looks like without tarnish:

In October 1957, LBE launched the "Medallion Homes" campaign, which sought to sell 20,000 all-electric homes nationwide by 1958, 100,000 by 1960 and 970,000 by 1970.
To earn a gold medallion--a decal affixed to a home's entryway and considered the apex of modern, all-electric living--a home had to have an electric clothes washer and dryer, waste disposal, refrigerator and all-electric heating.
The Medallion Homes campaign was a huge success. By some estimates, the nationwide goal of about 1 million all-electric homes was achieved, according to the Edison Electric Institute, although data on the actual number built is unavailable.
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/5376624/

Our house was retro-fitted with gas at some point, and we hope to alter it even further with off-the-grid power, but it's neat to learn wacky stuff about our house from neighbors who stop by to offer steak.

Black Sea: A Random Spot that was Worth Visiting

2009-08-31T19:15:00.003-05:00

It was Friday night at the Flanagan house.

Me: "Wanna catch some dinner before we head to Big V's?"
Gerg: "Yessir! What are you thinking?"
Me: "I'm thinking gyros. Something close to Big V's. Wanna find something while I get ready?"
Gerg: "I'm on it!"
Me: "You da best!"

After 3 outfit changes due to suspiciously cold August weather in Minneapolis, I was finally ready. We hopped in the car. A starving Gerg informed me that he had selected a Turkish joint called Black Sea, near Snelling and Minnehaha. "Do they have good gyros?" I wondered, as we headed out. He knew little to nothing about Black Sea, and neither did I.

Parking was a breeze once we arrived. We hopped out of the car and wandered into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant dripping with Turkish decor, such as Kil carpets and copper pots and plates, on the walls. Beaded curtains separated the tables.

At 9:15 on a Friday, there were only a few other guests. I knew I wanted to try the staples: gyro, hummus, and falafel, so I didn't spend too much time going over the menu.

Our server recommended the hummus appetizer and the "Black Sea Combination" for an entree, to which she would add some falafel for us. We both agreed to the suggestion, and sat back to enjoy our drinks: Oralet(Turkish orange tea) and Turkish Iced Tea. Turkish tea, called çay, is a form of black tea.

Our hummus appetizer came shortly after our drinks. The hummus was freshly made, thick, drizzled with olive oil, dotted with paprika, and served with pita, feta, fresh tomato slices, and olives.

We hadn't quite finished our hummus when our entree arrived. The combination platter was served, and I gasped. It was a HUGE portion. Enough for 4 adults. That's a standard-sized butter knife in the photo. That plate was roughly 16" in diameter.

Served on top of about 3 cups of basmati rice was chicken gyro meat, beef and lamb gyro meat, marinated chicken kebob, beef shish kebob, 2 meatball kebob, and 2 balls of falafel (we asked for the falafel). Pita bread, fresh greens, onion, green pepper, and fresh tomatoes were served on the side. The meat was juicy, tender, and spiced generously. We smiled. Gerg's favorite was the chicken kebob. If I had to pick, I'd pick the meatball kebob.

There is no indication as to where they source their food. Although, based on the freshness of the tomato, I'd say they were from around the block.

I'm not dying to return, but I would like to stop back to try their cabbage rolls and lentil soup someday.

Looking for a random spot worth visiting?
Black Sea Restaurant
737 N Snelling Ave.
Saint Paul, 55104 Minnesota
(651) 917 8832

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

2nd Annual Flanagan Double Dash Pinewood Derby Party

2009-08-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

To celebrate gerg's birthday and welcome people to our new house, we held the 2nd Annual Flanagan Double Dash pinewood derby party last weekend.

We invite friends and family to come on over. We purchase car making kits, decals, paint, and give them access to gerg's workshop. They have 2-3 hours to design and build their cars. As they build their cars, gerg assists in the shop, I prepare nosh, and food is consumed during and after the races. The double-elimination style race is fun for everyone.

It's a pretty big party project, but it's worth it to see a bunch of 20 and 30-year-olds acting like they're 12 again.

Oh, and the kids like it too.

Check out more photos from the party here.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Wearing Seal Pelts

2009-08-14T11:06:00.004-05:00

Now you can wear a seal pelt for just $400.

It's not what you think.

It might be better.
It might be worse.

http://www.birkiland.com/en/categories/fashion/clothing/the-sealpelt#

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Made In Minnesota Database

2009-08-13T17:45:00.002-05:00

Now that we've moved, decorating is totally underway.

We're reducing and reusing where we can, and we're trying to spend locally, as possible.

We've found some gems on craigslist, including this sweet mid century credenza from a great craigslist seller. We also found some nifty napkins on Etsy made by an architecture student here in MPLS.

We're fans of the ReUse Center and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Both offer stuff yanked out of other people's houses at rock-bottom prices - great for counter tops, doors, and even used appliances.

If we have to buy new, we're trying to buy local, and Midwest Home has made that somewhat easier for us by creating their Made in Minnesota database.

So sayeth they: "From aspen saunas in Cokato and air-jet bathtubs in Minneapolis to white cedar shingles in Duluth and reclaimed wood flooring in Hugo, the Land of 10,000 Lakes makes it all. Why build local? It’s good for our collective bottomline—and we’re talking more than eco-friendliness. Buying from locally owned stores returns at least 68 cents of every dollar back to the Minnesota economy—even more if products are manufactured here."

[where: Minnesota, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Kicking it in Waite Park, MPLS

2009-07-30T12:43:00.006-05:00

Gerg and I now live in Waite Park in NE Minneapolis!

I'm excited to be living in NE...we are closer to our friends in NE MPLS, Surdyk's, many restaurants, and the NE Minneapolis Arts District. I will miss living in Longfellow though...we were close to our friends in South MPLS, the Seward Co-op, the light rail station, Town Talk Diner, the Craftsman, the Green Way, the Birchwood, and Welna Hardware.

What does living in Waite Park mean for me? More interior and exterior space for living, working, making, breaking, and relaxing.

I know this much:

Pop Restaurant, Sarah Jane's Bakery, and Snap Pizza are close for dining.
Dabble is close for buying a few gifts.
East Side Co-op is close for groceries
We have a neighborhood wading pool, sand volleyball and basketball courts, a picnic area, and multiple baseball and softball fields.
We have a community garden.
We live close to Columbia Golf Course...FORE!
Annona Gourmet is close
We live just 2 blocks away from the highest point in Minneapolis!

I'm excited to scope out some more sweet spots in Waite Park and NE.

Live in or near Waite Park? Got any sweet spots for me to check out? Hollar at me!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]

Now Accepting Moving Advice: Show Me Your Tips!

2009-07-09T13:10:00.004-05:00

While I was finishing up my master's program this spring, gerg and I thought out loud, "You know, if we could sell this house, it would be a great time to buy a new one."

Shortly after I graduated in May, we put our Longfellow house on the market. It sold in 3.5 weeks, which gladdened us. Thus commenced our search: good neighborhood, nearby park, rambler/California ranch, 3bed/2bath, big garage and/or basement. We found that house in NE Minneapolis, and hence, we must begin packing.

Now we're in moving mode.

I've moved a half dozen times in my life, so I know how to move, but I figure some of you have moved a lot... Like, enough to have some really good tips. Packing tips? Unpacking tips? Cleaning tips? Surviving the move tips?

Show me your tips!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

John Mayer Plays "Human Nature" and I Pause

2009-07-07T23:43:00.002-05:00

I'm not a John Mayer fan, but this tribute made a lot of sense to me.

Listening to "Human Nature" being performed without Michael Jackson's voice was a poignant reminder of the uniqueness of his talent, and the might of its impact.

Cuckoo Clocks that Rock

2009-06-26T11:04:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure when I started liking cuckoo clocks. I know my grandma had one when I was a kid, and I always got a charge out of it.

In case you weren't aware, cuckoo clocks have come a long way, baby.

I'm particularly fond of The Kalimero design by Barbero Design of Italy:

The cuckoo and clockface are confined behind plexiglass, and walnut-finished back gives a nod to the tradition of wooden cuckoo clocks.

Check out this blog post of some of the most boss interpretations of cuckoo clocks.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Punch n' Surly

2009-06-12T11:58:00.001-05:00

Surly is now on tap at Punch Pizza.

Get a free Surly pint at Punch Pizza, with coupon!

Offer expires June 18!

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Let's Measure Some Native Big Trees

2009-06-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

Do you have a giant tree in your yard?
The DNR in Minnesota wants to know all about it!

Everyone is invited to join the search for Minnesota's native champion big trees.

Minnesota's Native Big Tree registry is a listing of Minnesota's 52 native trees judged to be the largest in the state.

A nominee is judged on three measurements:

1. Circumference, in inches, of its trunk at 4 ½ feet above the ground.
2. Its height in feet.
3. One-quarter of its crown spread in feet.

The total of these measurements is the points awarded to a particular tree. A champion tree has accumulated the most points.

How does one go about measuring a giant tree? A hypsometer, of course. But just in case you don't own one, here's how.

We've got a huge ash tree in the back yard that might be giant tree worthy. It's giant, I tell you, GIANT.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, big trees, Twin Cities, 55406]

Mayslack's: A Veritable Agglomeration of Beef and Jus

2009-06-01T18:45:00.007-05:00

Have you ever eaten at Mayslack's Music Lounge in North East?

I hadn't until this past weekend.

In fact, I wasn't even aware of their legendary roast beef sandwich or their motto: "Nobody beats Mayslack's meats! Nobody beats Mayslack's meats!"

Here's what I learned:

Back in 1955, the former pro-wrestler, Stan Myslajek started making gigantic roast beef sandwiches at Mayslack's. Today, Mayslack's is still serving gigantic roast beef sandwiches, While they offer other items like wings, pizza, and salads, the roast beef sandwich is their most popular menu item, according to our server. They even cater their famous roast beef sandwich for $14/lb.

Here's how they describe the Orignial Mayslack's roast beef sandwich on their menu:

The storied sandwich that only Stan Mayslack could make popular. A sandwich piled so high with roast beef. Slow roasted for 8 hours in garlic & other juices so the beef just melts in your mouth. Served with onions, banana peppers, coleslaw & some of that awesome au jus.

Mayslack's offers variations of the classic, including an Italian Beef, a Cheese Steak, and a French Dip, etc.

No matter which you order, a loaf is sliced down the middle, and then it's piled high with tender, sliced roast beef that has been soaking in garlicky jus. You might be able to pick it up and eat one bite, but be prepared for a veritable agglomeration of beef and jus. Soon, the sandwich on your big, ceramic plate will cease to exist, and you'll have a close encounter with a heap of roast beef and jus-soaked bread. You might need to seek out a fork, napkins, and eventually a take-home container.

It's a dimly-lit dive bar, but outdoor seating is available.

The portions were mighty (split portions of The Original are available for $2 extra). Gerg aptly reminded me, "Well, the whole thing was started by a pro-wrestler."

Touché!

Au jus!

Adieu!

Mayslack's
1428 4th St
NE Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 789-9862

PS - Here is a bad photo of our sandwiches at Mayslack's, which I took on my phone.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

The 3/50 Project

2009-05-22T14:25:00.002-05:00

A colleague shared some information with me about a new project.
It's called the 3/50 Project, and its grassroots campaign designed to "save" independent businesses.

Participation is really simple. Choose your three favorite locally owned businesses, and at those three shops combined, commit to spending $50 a month.

If half of the U.S. population did this, we would generate more than $42 trillion in revenue. For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays local.

With Seward Co-op, CorAzoN, and Mezzanine Salon all located within walking distance, spending money on locally owned businesses is a treat in my neighborhood.

The list below represents the participants and supporters who have signed up in Minneapolis (this doesn't mean that these are the only locally owned places where you should shop):

Minneapolis
Auntie Em's
Birch Clothing
Birchbark Books & Native Arts
Brown & Greene Floral Market
Caffe Amore
Castle Building & Remodeling
Cayenne Company
Clancey's Meats
Covered
Drama
Electric Fetus Co.
Favorable Treats
Freewheel Bike
Hang It
I Like You
Indulge & Bloom
Industrial and Residential Lighting Inc.
Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts and Foods
Inizio Gifts
June
Kitchen Window
Lights On Broadway
Lightworks
Linden Hills Co-op & Natural Home
Linden Hills Florist
Local D'Lish
Mother Earth Gardens
Needlework Unlimited
Nielsen Framing Studio
Nine
Nokomis Shoe Shop
Olive Salon
Rewind Vintage
Ribnick Fur & Leather
Robot Love
Rosenthal Contemporary Furniture
Sacred Rearrangements Shop & Healing Center
Sigh Yoga + Boutique
Soderberg's Floral & Gift
Steamworks Coffee & Tea
Tangletown Gardens
The Green Goober
The Lounge
The Warren-An Artist Habitat
The Wellness Center
Thyme to Entertain
Twin Cities Green
Vern Carver & Beard Art Galleries
Wilde Roast Cafe

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Homemade Pasta is No Longer Mine Enemy

2009-05-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

We have a couple of attachments for our Kitchenaid mixer that allow us to make different types of pasta from scratch. We've been experimenting for about 6 months or so, and are finally feeling somewhat confident in our pasta-making skilz.

The above KitchenAid attachment presses the dough through an extruder. This dough was made with 2.5 cups of organic semolina flour, 3 organic eggs from Larry Schultz's farm, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp of water. This attachment works well for tube shaped pastas and round pastas, such as spaghetti, penne, mostaccioli, and rigatoni.

The other attachment rolls the pasta, and cuts it if you want. It's ideal for flat pastas such as lasagna, ravioli, and fettuccine. The recipe we used for our lasagna dough used: 4 cups organic semolina flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. basil, ½ tsp. oregano, ½ tsp. salt, and 1 ½ cups warm water. The key to rolling pasta out was to let it rest before rolling it.

Cooking the fresh pasta requires a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt. As soon as the pasta was added, we did a quick stir to avoid any clumping,. Within 5 minutes or so, the pasta can be drained and eaten. We made that batch of spaghetti above in about 30 minutes, from dough to plate. Gerg and I agreed that it was tasty.

[where: home made pasta, kitchenaid pasta dough, 55406]

On Graduating from Grad School

2009-05-01T12:34:00.007-05:00

Dear Grad School,

It was pretty cool getting to know you over the past 5 years.

Remember that one summer when I always came to class in velour warmup suits? Yeah, I was really into the Notorious B.I.G. that summer.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll stay in touch. I've still got piles of your books at our house, and I've already applied for a fellowship.

Check ya later,
Reetsy

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Wearing The Hair Of The Dog. Portraits Of People In Clothes Made From Their Pets' Fur.

2009-04-28T16:31:00.007-05:00

I hope THIS doesn't give my husband any crazy ideas.
For the record, I don't want to wear it. Eek!

[where: Minnesota, Dog Hair Clothes, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Mark Your Calendar: Northern Woods Exhibition

2009-04-22T12:00:00.003-05:00

Got an itch to see some art before Art-A-Whirl?

This weekend the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild is holding its annual Northern Woods Exhibition at Southdale Mall.

"The show provides an opportunity for Guild members (and non-guild members) to present and discuss the best in high quality woodworking design and construction with fellow woodworkers and the general public. The pieces on display are more than furniture. They are works of art."

Check out these photos of some of the award-winning pieces from last year's exhibition. This is seriously amazing woodwork.

I'm still sizzling over Scott McGlasson's credenza from the 2007 show:

Start Time: Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 10:00am
End Time: Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 6:00pm
Location: Southdale Center Mall

[where: Minnesota, Woodworking, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

27th Annual Mpls/St.Paul International Film Festival

2009-04-17T10:42:00.009-05:00

Just a friendly reminder...

The 27th annual Mpls/St.Paul International Film Festival is taking place over the next two weeks (April 16th-30th).

Here's a link to the Film Festival Catalog. In case you don't want to rummage through the ads looking for the actual schedule, you can find it on pages 16-17 of the catalog.

Tickets and Passes are available online at http://www.mspfilmfest.org/MMIX/ or at the box office on the night of the screening. Discounted tickets (Members/Students/ Seniors) are available at the box office if you've got the right ID.

Get your international film on!

[where: Minnesota, International, Film, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Saving Seeds: Supporting Garden Biodiversity

2009-04-08T11:55:00.003-05:00

AN 1868 HEIRLOOM HARTMAN'S YELLOW GOOSEBERRY TOMATO

April is upon us! That means it's almost time to start our gardens, whether we're in the city and growing in pots, or heaving loads of compost out in the burbs.

I'm big into planting heirloom varieties in my garden, and finding those varieties can be tricky - especially if you're someone who might grab a veggie plant at Home Depot. Go to You Are Where You Eat to read a bit about why heirloom varieties are important to me, and where you can go in the Twin Cities to find them.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Reetsy Reviews: Just Truffles

2009-04-01T15:54:00.015-05:00

Because my husband is awesome, I was recently treated to a box of truffles from Just Truffles in St. Paul.

Just Truffles carries about 30 regular flavors of truffles in addition to some seasonal flavors.

In order from left to right, top to bottom:

Chocolate Malted: malt powder blended with heavy whipping cream folded into a milk chocolate ganache, dipped in milk chocolate
Peanut Butter: creamy peanut butter in a white chocolate ganache, dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peanuts
Passion Fruit: milk chocolate ganache blended with passion fruit puree, dipped in milk chocolate
Just Chocolate: dark chocolate ganache, dipped and decorated in dark chocolate
Key Lime: key lime juice from the Florida Keys and white chocolate ganache dipped in white chocolate
Bailey's: Bailey's Irish Cream blended with a combination of white and milk chocolate ganache, dipped in milk chocolate
Grand Marnier: orange rind and Grand Marnier in dark chocolate ganache, dipped in dark chocolate
Raspberry: tart raspberries, raspberry liquor and dark bittersweet chocolate ganache, dipped in white chocolate

Just Truffle's fluffy centers aren't dense or fudge-like at all. The centers are light and creamy, and the coating cracks as you bite into the truffle. Also, they're large - 3 or 4 bites per truffle.

I liked the Just Chocolate truffle - dark chocolate ganache dipped and decorated in dark chocolate. The intense shell snapped open cleanly, revealing a milder smooth ganache inside.

Owner and candy-maker Kathleen O’Hehir-Johnson uses all natural ingredients and makes each truffle by hand. They last about 3 days at room temperature, or 30 days in the refrigerator.

I'm a sucker for the 99% truffles at Legacy Chocolates, and I really appreciate Legacy's efforts regarding sustainability. But Just Truffles has a lot of fun flavors, and the bigger size makes does make their truffles a perfect size for sharing.

Noteworthy:
Evidently, during a performance at the St Paul Civic Center, Luciano Pavarotti was seen wearing a tuxedo accessorized with a gold stretch bow from a box from Just Truffles. Supposedly, he insisted, "I wore it for you," to O'Hehir Johnson, as he kissed her hand. She created the "Tenor's Temptation," a rum-coconut truffle, in his honor.

Sweets made by star-kissed hands!
Just Truffles
1363 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105

[where: Just Truffles, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Reetsy Reviews: Abu Nader Deli

2009-03-27T12:14:00.015-05:00

I drive past Abu Nader Deli several times per week, and I finally decided to stop at it last week to pick up a late lunch for gerg and I.

It might be easy to drive right past it because Abu Nader Deli isn't big on appearances. The deli and small market is situated on the corner of a somewhat busy intersection, but it keeps a low profile, inside and out.

Everything at Abu Nader Deli, from yogurt to the pocket bread, is made from scratch; even the chickpeas for the hummus are freshly ground.

If there's one reason to stop at Abu Nader Deli, it's the Shawarma. Shawarma is commonly made by placing strips of beef and lamb (or other meats) on a spit. Traditionally, an onion or tomato are placed at the end of the spit.

The rotisserie combination of beef and lamb at Abu Nader is cooked until a slight char forms on the outside, and then shaved off in chunky pieces. They take those tender, charred pieces, stuff a lot of them inside a whole piece of their homemade pocket bread, and then top it off with tomato, onion, and a generous helping of cucumber sauce. They wrap it up in wax paper and foil and send you on your way, with a load of Shawarma under your arm.

The home made pocket bread holds most of the cucumber sauce inside the sandwich, rather than allowing the sauce to spill all over the place. Still, these types of sandwiches are notoriously messy, and Abu Nader's definitely delivers in that department.

The falafel at Abu Nader Deli is different than the falafel at Mim's, just up the road. Abu Nader's falafel is dense with chickpeas and generously seasoned with cumin, parsley, red pepper flakes, and other spices.

The hummus at Abu Nader is available for purchase at their deli. It's made fresh and served topped with a generous amount of virgin olive oil and paprika. The deli also also carries homemade yogurt, tabuleh, spinach pies, and meat pies.

Despite its proximity to the State Fair grounds, business doesn't slow at Abu Nader during the State Fair, it increases, according to their website. I guess that's not surprising. Afterall, isn't tender and juicy charred beef and lamb on a rotisserie just a giant piece of meat on a stick?

Eat Giant Shawarma Sammiches
Abu Nader Deli
2095 Como Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
(651) 647-5391

[where: Minnesota, Food, St Paul, Shawarma, 55406]

Casper & Runyon’s Shamrock's: The Nookie Challenge

2009-03-23T10:57:00.013-05:00

March is a strange time of year in Minnesota.
Mostly, it's just plain soggy.

So on a day off in March, a proposition like this might be interesting: "Wanna come to Shamrocks's and watch some guys take the Nookie Challenge?"

Yes, I did. So I pulled on my boots, grabbed my bag, and headed to Casper & Runyon’s Shamrocks in St Paul.

Shamrocks is the sister restaurant to The Nook in St. Paul. The Nook is widely recognized for its Juicy Lucys, served two ways. Their Juicy Nookie burger is a burger stuffed with runny American cheese. Their Paul Moliter Burger is a burger stuffed with pepper cheese. They serve up hand-cut fries with their burgers, and they source their buns from P.J. Murphy’s on Randolph Ave. Shamrocks offers a similar menu to that of The Nook, and definitely carries the famous cheese-stuffed burgers.

I arrived at Shamrocks and ordered a Smithwick's. I was hopeful that my husband would split a Juicy Nookie with me. [He did. The Juicy Nookie was nicely charred, but slightly overcooked.]

Soon, the challengers arrived. They were seated at their reserved table, and presented with the challenge. The challenge was simple enough in theory: it required that one eat two Nookie Supreme burgers with fries.

photo swiped from Challenger John's Facebook page

One Nookie Supreme is two 1/3 cheeseburgers and special sauce on a bun with a heap of fries on the side. So the challenge was to eat 2 of these giant double cheeseburgers and two orders of fries. Yep, that's about a pound and a third of beef with all the fixings and fries.

4 men attempted the challenge. Two conquered it. All 4 of the men consumed both of their giant cheeseburgers, but only 2 of the 4 consumed all of their fries along with their burgers. According to the challengers, the fries became cold and unappetizing as the burgers were consumed.

All agreed it was a lot of food, and the two that completed the challenge were definitely feeling the pains of overeating.

The prize? A T-shirt that reads, "Have you had your Nookie Today? I did!" and, of course, bragging rights.

Eat giant burgers; get a shirt!
Casper & Runyon’s Shamrock's
995 Seventh St W
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 228-9925

PS - I forgot to take my camera, but I managed to capture a couple of shots with my phone. Mea Culpa.

[where: Minnesota, Food, St Paul, Nookie Challenge, 55406]

Maple Syruping in Minnesota

2009-03-17T10:14:00.006-05:00

Making maple syrup is a harbinger of spring in Minnesota, and a fun way to produce something tasty in your own back yard. We recently attended the "Maple Syrup Madness" event at Wargo Nature Center to get the skinny on making our own maple syrup.

Visit www.eatsustainable.blogspot.com to read more about our trip to the Wargo Nature Center and to see some photos of hot maple syruping action.

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, DIY Maple Syrup, 55406]

Housemade Sausages at the Black Forest Inn

2009-03-16T12:36:00.006-05:00

German migration to Minnesota peaked during the decades of the 1860s and 1870s. The historical German opposition to prohibition in Minnesota is reflected in a strong beer making tradition throughout Minnesota, and we have a fair share of German restaurants, to boot.

The Black Forest Inn has been around a long, long time in Minneapolis - 41 years, to be exact. I figured it was about time for me to stop in and try their sausages because it's no secret that I *heart* housemade sausages.

Erich Christ's reasons for making sausage from scratch make sense to me: "At a time when other restaurants were buying more and more of their products finished and pre-packaged we were trying to stay in the same price point, and make our food better, fresher and more interesting."

For our lunch, I sampled three sausages (from left to right): the polish sausage, the bratwurst, and the chicken curry sausage. The links were served with their German potato salad and some rye bread.

From left to right: The polish sausage was a bit dry, and the flavor was slightly barny. The bratwurst was lean, moist, and lightly seasoned; the ground meat was finer than a typical bratwurst. The curry chicken sausage was seasoned with a light hand as well and was lean and moist. The sausages were cooked properly - with casings that were clear and crisp. Overall, I would have preferred a slightly heavier hand when it came to seasoning the sausages.

The German potato salad was prepared with sliced potatoes, bacon, onion and cider vinegar. The bacon was cooked properly, and the cider vinegar added the appropriate level of tart acidity that I appreciated. The rye bread was light in texture, color, and flavor.

The rathskeller-style dining room and bar make for a fun atmosphere, perfectly suited to flights of German beer.

Interesting sausages made fresh in Minnesota definitely peak my interest. It would be great to see them take "home made" one step farther by sourcing local meats for the sausage they make.

[where: Black Forest Inn, Sausages, Minneapolis 55406]

The Blue Door Pub: Burgers with Fans

2009-03-09T12:30:00.004-05:00

Rave reviews and lines extending out the door made Blue Door Pub too tempting for us. On a sunny weekend in March we simply had to stop in. The truth is, we'd tried stopping before, but the line around the block was too long for our growling stomachs. We picked 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, and headed to St Paul.

A short line of about 6 people was gathered right inside the door. 9 tables, a bar, and a window bar seat roughly 35-45 people.

Among other pub fare, the Blue Door Pub serves Juicy Blucys. Here's how they describe them: "Our twist on a culinary and cultural phenomenon! We pay homage to our brethren across the River with an incredible line-up of original Juicys - a Twin Cities favorite burger in which the cheese is stuffed inside the fresh ground beef patty."

It's also worth mentioning that they serve some decent beer, Spam bites (Spam, cream cheese, and pickle breaded and deep fried), a Jiffy burger (a burger topped with peanut butter, pepper jack, and bacon), and deep fried pickle spears. They also offer veggie burgers and grilled cheese - for the veg heads out there.

We waited about ten minutes for 2 seats to open up at the bar. I ordered a Dirty Farm Girl (Belgian-influenced ale) from Left Bridge Brewery in Stillwater. Gerg ordered a Coca Cola. Then we reviewed the menu. After a lot of deliberation, we selected two Blucys.

Gerg ordered a Blue Door Pub daily special: the Merriam Park Blucy. This was a burger stuffed with bleu cheese, garlic, and bacon, and topped off with red currant jelly. I was sure the garlic and bleu cheese would be too powerful, but overall, based on the bite that I had, the flavor was well balanced. I couldn't really taste the red currant jelly in my bite, so I tried a bit on my fork. It was slightly tart, and sweet. The fried tater tots were fried until crisp.

I ordered the Blue Door Pub Bacon Blucy: a burger stuffed with American cheese and thick cut bacon, with pickle slices. I ordered mine with grilled onions because I like burgers with bacon, cheese, onion, and pickles. The burger was charred, tender, and juicy. The thick-cut bacon was cooked to a crisp before it was stuffed inside the burger. The bun was soft and unsubstantial, which meant napkins were definitely required. I had fried green beans on the side, and they were crispy and served with ranch dressing.

Blue Door Pub offers 10 variations of their Juicy Blucys. After you've enjoyed all 10 of their Blucys you receive a complementary t-shirt. We saw a guy receive one while we were there. He was pretty pumped about it.

As we ate at the bar, the line continued to grow, and was out the door by the time we left. Good timing on our part, but probably just luck. We had a line of people standing next to us, either with their arms folded over their chests - or sipping a decent beer. They were trying not to drool as they watched the burgers being served and devoured, and I got the impression that people just can't get enough of these burgers.

"Was it better than a Juicy Lucy at Matt's?" I asked gerg after we finished eating.

"It's hard to say because they're different. Matt's burgers crisp and well-charred, and more puckish. These are thicker and less charred," explained gerg.

I guess it's not about who makes the best stuffed cheeseburger, for gerg. It's more about appreciating all the variations and enjoying a well made burger, and I totally feel that.

I bet you'll find a burger you appreciate at Blue Door Pub.

The Blue Door Pub
1811 Selby Ave
St. Paul, MN 55104
(651) 493-1865

Post Script: For the record, my favorite burger is still the King Burger at King's Place in Miesville.

[where: Blue Door Pub, Juicy Lucy, Minneapolis Burger, 55406]

Groundbreaking HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Discovered at the University of Minnesota.

2009-03-05T16:40:00.006-06:00

"Researchers have identified a compound that, applied vaginally, can prevent transmission of the primate version of HIV. While its not a cure and the compound still must go through human clinical trials before it used to prevent HIV the research is a huge step toward prevention of the devastating disease that impacts 33 million people around the globe. More here."

D'Amico Cucina is Celebrating Restaurant Week All Month Long!

2009-03-04T12:39:00.007-06:00

(Click on the image for better resolution)

That's right, D'Amico Cucina is offering a restaurant week menu all month long!!

3 courses for $30 throughout the month of March!

[where: 55406]

Restaurant Week 2009!

2009-03-02T12:15:00.001-06:00

It's the best tasting week of the year, and we're all invited!

Until Thursday, participating restaurants will be hitting us with specially priced meals that define and distinguish their culinary offerings in the Twin Cities.

Last year, we were blown away by Campiello's porketta style pork shoulder and apple pecan cake during restaurant week.

This year, we're definitely hitting Masa for dinner, as the D'Amico restaurants seem to be offering smoking hot deals.

Masa's menu for restaurant week (for $30):

Choice of Starter:

Guacamole Picado
Mashed avocado with white onion, tomato, chile Serrano, cilantro, and lime; served with raw vegetables and tortilla chips
Ensalada Verde
Mixed baby leaf lettuces, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro-lime vinaigrette
Queso Fundido con Camarones
Melted Oaxacan cheese served with poblano chilies, chipotle, onions, roasted garlic and Florida gulf shrimp
Ensalada de Jicama y Mango
Fresh mango and jicama salad, cilantro, lime vinaigrette and cotija cheese

Choice of Entrée:

Pollo con Mole Colorado
Half chicken cooked in authentic mole Colorado; served with fried plantains, rice and warm tortillas
Puerco Veracruzana
Roasted pork shoulder marinated with lime, garlic and chile ancho; cooked in banana leaf, served with broiled pineapple in adobo sauce and black bean puree
Bistek con Chipotle Ancho Marinado
Grilled 10-ounce Black Angus hanger steak with chile and ancho-chipotle butter; served with frijoles charros, grilled onions and pico de gallo
Enchiladas con Jaibas
Two traditional light corn tortillas filled with king crab, Chihuahua cheese; served with lettuce, pickled onions, salsa verde, cotija and crema

Choice of Dessert:

Pastel de Tres Leches
Three milk cake
Flan de Coco
Coconut flan
Crepes con Cajeta
Buttered crepes with goat’s milk caramel and candied pecans

The Red Stag Supperclub is also looking good to us (for $30):

Choice of Starter:

Bowl of Squash Soup
Pear Chop Salad

Choice of Entrée:

Pork Chop
Top Sirloin
Linguini and Clams

Dessert: Chocolate chiffon cake with milk chocolate mousse and toasted hazelnut ice cream

For a list of participating restaurants and their menus, click here.

[where: 55406]

I Was a Bahama Mama

2009-02-27T12:00:00.006-06:00

Two weeks ago, we headed to the Bahamas with Monica and Brad. We shared a big condo on Grand Bahama Island near Port Lucaya, and spent the week chillaxing. It was a belated honeymoon and a winter vacation all rolled into one.

Highlights included: snorkeling around a small coral reef, kayaking through the mangroves, dining on the beach at a place called Off the Reef Conch Shack, and drinking lots of Bahama Mamas.

Does it look like we had a good time? In case you can't tell by the photo, we had a blast in the Bahamas.

We consumed COPIOUS amounts of Bahama Mamas.

Bahama Mama Recipe
1 oz. Coconut Rum
1 1/4 oz. Gold Rum
1 1/2 oz. Nassau Royale Liqueur
2 oz's. Orange Juice
2 oz's. Pineapple Juice
Dash of Angostura Bitters (optional)
1/6 oz Grenadine
1 Cherry and/or Slice of Orange

We learned how to spear lobster and went snorkeling on a reef with a local guy. Later on, he danced with us to a steel drum band and took that photo of the four of us. He was a solid dude. I spotted a sweet flounder fish while I was snorkeling, which totally reminded me of the Little Mermaid. Thus, I had Little Mermaid songs in my head the whole week.

We ate several meals at this place called "Off the Reef Conch Shack." They treated us to grilled conch, conch cakes, conch fritters, and the best red snapper I've ever tasted. They also fixed us cocktails and played Bahamian music. It was a great spot for a meal. We had a great time eating, talking smart, and almost playing dominoes at this shack.

We kayaked in the mangroves through Port Lucaya National Park, which was pretty awesome. On our tour of the park, we spotted Parrotfish, an Osprey, poisonwood, mahogany trees, papaya trees, spider lilies, and raccoons.

We were treated to a fancy meal at Luciano's in Port Lucaya.

Our Menu
Cassolette d'Escargots
Steamed Mussels
Scampi Flambé Luciano's
Filet Mignon au Roquefort
New York Strip Steak with vegetables and Béarnaise
2 bottles of Soave Classico, Massi

Most of all we spent a lot of time sunbathing, swimming in the ocean, and taking walks along the beach.

Check out the rest of our photos on our flickr site.

[where: 55406]

Britney's Better with Bacon

2009-02-12T17:45:00.003-06:00

Everything's better with bacon, right?

So every time I hear this song, which is probably more often than I should admit, I sing my own bacon lyrics because singing about bacon is fun.

Superstar!
Where you from, how's it going?
I know you,
gotta clue, what you're doing?
You can play brand new to all the sammies out here,
But I know what you are, what you are, baby.

Look at you
gettin' more than just a re-up.
Baby, you
got all the puppets with their strings up.
Frontin’ like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em.
I know what you are, what you are, baby.

Baconizer, Baconizer!
You're a baconizer!
Oh baconizer, Oh you're a baconizer, baby!
You, you, you are
You, you, you are
Baconizer, baconizer, baconizer!

Hey, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)

(You) You got me going!
(You) You're oh so charming!
(You) But I can't do it!
(You) Baconizer!

Hey, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)

(You) You say I'm crazy!
(You) I got you crazy!
(You) Your nothing but a
(You) baconizer!

Daddy-O,
you got the swagger of a champion.
Too bad for you
just can't find the right companion.
I guess when you have one too many, makes it hard.
It could be easy, who you are, that's just who you are baby.

Lollipop,
must mistake me as a sucker.
To think that I
would be a vegetarian.
Say it, play it how you wanna
But no way I'm ever gonna pass on you, never you, baby.

Baconizer, Baconizer!
You're a baconizer,
Oh baconizer, Oh you're a baconizer, baby!
You, you, you are
You, you, you are
Baconizer, baconizer, baconizer!

Hey, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)

(You) You got me going!
(You) You're oh so charming!
(You) But I can't do it!
(You) Baconizer!

Hey, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)

(You) You say I'm crazy!
(You) I got you crazy!
(You) Your nothing but a
(You) Baconizer!

Maybe if we both lived in a different world
it would be all good, and maybe I’d resist you.
But I can't 'cause we don't.

Baconizer, Baconizer!
You're a baconizer,
Oh baconizer, Oh you're a baconizer, baby!
You, you, you are
You, you, you are
Baconizer, baconizer, baconizer!

Hey, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)

(You) You got me going!
(You) You're oh so charming!
(You) But I can't do it!
(You) Baconizer!

Hey, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)

(You) You say I'm crazy!
(You) I got you crazy!
(You) Your nothing but a
(You) Baconizer!

Boy, don't try to front
I, I know just-just what you are, are, are (x2)
Baconizer, Baconizer
You're a baconizer,
Oh baconizer, Oh you're a baconizer, baby!

Best Poster Ever of the Weekend

2009-02-09T08:06:00.002-06:00

Goby's Grille and Pub in St Paul has much to offer, including taps of Michelob Golden Light and a jukebox.

But, by far, their best overall contribution to their female patrons is the awesome MGD poster in the bathroom, which I felt compelled to share. The poster is mounted directly opposite the throne, which means all ladies alike can gaze upon its majesty while doing their biznaz.

Get on the road to someplace cool!
Goby's Grille and Pub
472 Snelling Ave S
St Paul, MN

[where: St Paul, Goby's 55406]

Suspicious Norovirus Activity

2009-02-04T13:15:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty sure the NOROVIRUS has hit my office building in St. Paul, MN.

I "witnessed" something disgusting while I was in the bathroom washing my hands this morning, and then later in the afternoon, I had to walk around a pile of vomit on the sidewalk outside.

Please wash your hands.

-FAIR WARNING-

If you dare to come to my house or my office while afflicted, I will make your life even more miserable.

[where: 55406]

The Willis: A Journey to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

2009-01-29T16:30:00.007-06:00

photo borrowed from doubleplusgood

Today I heard from a handsome gentleman, who also happens to be a member of my favorite band in hibernation, and I gotta tell you, I'm picking up good vibrations.

The Willis is coming out of hibernation to fly to New York and play on a live taping (not to be broadcast) of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, Feb 26th.

Are you thinking what I was thinking?

Me: "What does 'not to be broadcast' mean?", I begged.

He: "It means they're 'not going to broadcast it,'" explained the handsome guy. "Broadcast episodes, I guess, start on March 2nd. It's a show that prepares the staff, etc. Should be good fun, though..."

Me: "I hope this means you're going to get around to more gigging soon!"

He: "We'll see...Just finishing my book/dissertation, so I might have more time."

[where: The Willis, 55406]

Shanty Confessionals

2009-01-27T12:15:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday, we pulled on long underwear, wrapped ourselves from head to toe, grabbed some coffee, and headed out to check out the Art Shanty Projects 2009 installation on Medicine Lake.

It was a perfect day for it: frigidly cold and windy with sunshine and blue skies.

My favorite art shanty was the Art Shanty Confessional. Sure, I was raised Catholic, but I've only been to confession once. This confession shanty was more fun than the confessional of my childhood.

People wrote their confessions on slips of paper that read: "Welcome. It's our pleasure to save you. Remember, two things: 1) Good penmanship is next to Godliness, 2) No last names, please. Confess something here: " The shanty folks then stapled the written confessions to the outer wall of the shanty. I grabbed a few snapshots of some of the confessions that made me laugh (No one told me to stop, so I don't think I broke any rules. If I did, let me know please):

click on any of the images to see a larger version

The shanties are open to the public every Saturday and Sunday on Medicine Lake, 11am - 4pm, through February 14.

You can check out our whole set of photos from the Art Shanty Project 2009 here.

[where: 55406]

Clicquot Club Cafe Closes its Doors

2009-01-21T14:21:00.004-06:00

A restaurant in our neck of the non-woods is out of business. Clicquot Club Cafe has closed its doors.

This was the restaurant housed in the Seward neighborhood's "Orange Crush" building.

It was a cozy, happy little cafe with a smart outdoor seating area and an extensive menu featuring handmade pizzas, paninis, sandwiches, soups, and salads. I will miss their ham and jalsburg sandwich, the giant Dagwood sandwich, and their salami/mozzarella panini.

I bought my bulk tea there on more than one occasion - they had an awesome mango green tea that I bought by the jarful.

From their website:

It is with sadness and regret that we have decided to close our doors, effective January 12th, 2009.

After 3 wonderful years we find ourselves in a situation where sales have fallen to unsustainable levels and we have no other choice but to cease operations.

We’d like to thank everyone that has supported us and want our loyal customers to know how much we have truly appreciated you over the last years. It’s been an incredible experience, and serving this community has been the greatest reward anyone could imagine.

Although these are challenging times, we know that there are other opportunities ahead, and we thank you for supporting us through both the best, and worst, of times.

We’re honored to have been part of your lives!

Thank You…

PS - This is a crosspost from my other blog.

[where: Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55406]

Your Fortune: You'll Find Something Tasty at United Noodles

2009-01-20T20:38:00.013-06:00

I've been feeling a little more upbeat lately. It might be because of Michelle Obama's scandalous audience winks, or it might be because we live very near to United Noodles in Minneapolis.

Now, I'm sure most MPLS food lovers have visited United Noodles, but on the off chance that you might have missed it, like we had, I'm here to tell you it's worth checking out.

United Noodles is a 15,000 square foot market containing more than 8,000 (mostly grocery) items from more than 15 countries including China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Being a dumpling freak, I was interested in checking out just how much United Noodles could offer me in terms of dumplings. Silly me, I didn't count the options because I was literally too excited to count. They've got everything you need to prepare jiaozi, wontons, and gyoza from scratch - or any other delicious Asian dumpling variety you can imagine, for that matter. For the less ambitious, they also host an ENTIRE BANK of freezers stuffed with various versions of frozen dumpling varieties. Seriously, I'm talking about dozens and dozens of meat, seafood, and vegetarian varieties of the frozen little delights, which are prepared with ease in 10 minutes on your stovetop.

They stock far more than dumplings, of course, including fresh specialty produce, dozens of varieties of dried and fresh noodles, varieties of tofu, seafood, sauces, mock meats, candies, snacks, fresh herbs, cookies, beverages, energy drinks, seasoning, cookware, serveware, teas, etc.

Obviously, I was starving after peeping all those dumplings, so we grabbed some lunch while we shopped the market. Lucky for us, they have a hot deli full of tasty-looking eats. They offer homestyle roasted pork and roasted duck daily. They offered no homemade dumplings at the deli, so I almost ordered the much lauded Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, but I opted for a daily special:

Taiwanese Soy Bean Paste Noodles

This dish was packed with flavor. Nothing fancy, just simple udon noodles topped with highly seasoned crumbled bean curd, sliced cucumber and bean sprouts. It came out to our table in less than 3 minutes. I added some of the spicy garlic sauce they made available on the table. It must have been made with firm/dried bean curd because the crumbles had the firmness of cooked meat, and it was a great platform for the garlicy, tangy, soy-based sauce. The cooks were far too busy to entertain my questions about the dish. I had some free water with my meal.

Pork Chop Special

gerg tried their daily pork chop special and commented that it was decent. He waited about 10 minutes for the chop. The pork chop special was served up on a bed of seasoned grilled onions and green peppers with a side of rice, pickled cucumbers, and some of their daily vegetable soup. gerg drank some of the free hot tea they offer.

Not sure what to order? No sweat - they offer free samples. Guess how much we paid for our lunches.......................$4.95 each. Tables are small and limited, and you're expected to bus your table yourself. That ain't no thang.

Deli Hours
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday to Saturday: 11am - 6pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm

PS - Amy, your dumplings were totes awesome! Thanks again for the dinner invite! xoxoxo

[where: 55406]

Yes, I'm Livin' At A Pace That Kills

2009-01-15T18:15:00.003-06:00

Sometimes, when you've spent 5 days shivering, and you're a TAD blue cuz the bills have got you down, a friend shows you something that TOTALLY F-ING RULES.

Click here to play with Tyser's David Lee Roth soundboard. Do it.

[where: 55406]

Reetsy's Rogues: A Minnesota Horse Logger

2009-01-14T12:05:00.003-06:00

Reetsy's Rogues features my kind of daredevils, adventurers, swashbucklers, exemplars, etc. A Reetsy's Rogue is the kind of person who captivates my attention due to an uber adventerous attitude and creative engineering. I was going to stick to midwesterners with this feature, but I'd hate to exclude an acrobatic dolphin slayer from Cuba.

Through my dayjob, I've had the experience of working with Tim Carroll of Cedar River Horse Logging in Lyle, MN.

I saw his horse logging work featured on TPT last year, and I was captivated. The dedication, tradition, and craftsmanship that he invests in his enterprise impressed me.

Here's what I learned after speaking with him:

Having worked at a treatment facility for juveniles for 16 years, Carroll never planned to have a successful career in horse logging. Carroll married his wife, Doreen, who had three riding horses, and he soon grew attached to draft horses and began using them to plow his driveway. Down the road from his home in Minnesota, Carroll noticed a neighbor had hired a machine logger to clear their property of some trees. The loggers had left a mess on his neighbor’s property.

Carroll asked his neighbors if he could come by and clean out some of those logs with his draft horses. It didn’t take long and he had a crowd of people watching. People started asking if he could come out to their land too. Before he had his first job done, he had three contracts waiting. Soon, “equine forestry,” as Carroll calls it, became his new passion.

His horse logging enterprise is going to be spotlighted on Modern Marvels on the History Channel tonight (7pm and 11pm central).

More about tonight's episode of Modern Marvels.

[where: 55406]

Just in Case You Haven't Seen the Funniest Video Ever of the Day

2009-01-12T09:55:00.001-06:00

Reetsyburger's Refuge

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things: 2011

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies Just Like Mom Used to Make

Cheese That's Worth The Splurge

New York, New York. 2011.

Cheers to Duluth-Made Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch - Dara & Co. - October 2011 - Minnesota

Apple Cider Donuts

Food Lover's Must Read: Lapham's Quarterly Food Issue

Pizza Night at the Stone Barn in Nelson, WI

American Cheese Society Awards - WI and MN Roundup

Reetsy's Take on Punch's Mimi Pizza

Niagara’s Wine Region Doesn't Dissapoint

Rationalizing a Move to MN: An Attaboys Roundup

It’s International Pickles Week!

Sampling Masu Sushi & Robata

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

HOT TRELLIS ACTION

Rave-R-Rave Fashion

If You're Near Madison on April 16, Think Cheese

Valentine's Day Treat: Red Velvet Pancakes

Raji's Rocket - Superbowl XLV

iPhone Fun with Emoji

Objectified: A Film about Manufactured Objects

These are a Few of My Favorite Things: 2010

Breaksea Upcycle's Awesome Mittens

Cheese Underground Sponsors Cheese Limerick Contest

Wood from Your Hood - a Great Gift

Fighting the Cold—with Punch!

*WHAM* Wassail

(i.e. Punch when you have to punch)

Notes From the Shop: Vise Restoration

Documentary: The Minneapolis Wrestling Club

Mad SICK Wig

A Little Love Letter from the New Owners at Former Pop!! NE Location

Five Meals with Fischer Family Farms Pork

Sweet! A Heritage Festival for Bohemians like Me!

A Greener Visit to the MN State Fair

I *Heart* my Penguin

We Need so Damn Many Things To Keep our Dazed Lives Going

Why I Love Cooking With Dog

Sweet Cover! Wicked Game (Chris Isaak 8-bit cover)

Tami Chynn & Tifa - Certified Diva (Official Video)

Can you sing? Do you know what I mean?

French Expressions 101: Quelle bonne idée!

Dining Out for Life Tonight

Black Sheep Pizza

A New Gig

Truffle Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Hook's 15-Year Cheddar: Worth It

Amici Pizza and Bistro Open in NE MPLS

NY Times' Totally Decent Explanation of the Complex World of Ice Skating Deductions.

From Medicine Cabinet to Concealed Jewelry Cabinet!!

I *heart* the Olympics

Dude. Man. Cheese.

Swiss Colony Strikes Again. I. Die.

2009: A Few of My Favorite Edible Things

“Inspire” A Tribute to Michael Jackson

Black Garlic Smashed Taters

Welcome, Gabriella!

Wanna help me win $150? Vote for my photo!

The St. Crispin Autumn Velvet

New House, New Mural

My Oktoberfest Birthday Bash

A Name and A Photo

Our Home has a Medallion!

Black Sea: A Random Spot that was Worth Visiting

2nd Annual Flanagan Double Dash Pinewood Derby Party

Wearing Seal Pelts

Made In Minnesota Database

Kicking it in Waite Park, MPLS

Now Accepting Moving Advice: Show Me Your Tips!

John Mayer Plays "Human Nature" and I Pause

Cuckoo Clocks that Rock

Punch n' Surly

Let's Measure Some Native Big Trees

Mayslack's: A Veritable Agglomeration of Beef and Jus

The 3/50 Project

Homemade Pasta is No Longer Mine Enemy

On Graduating from Grad School

Wearing The Hair Of The Dog. Portraits Of People In Clothes Made From Their Pets' Fur.

WHAM Wassail

I Heart my Penguin

I heart the Olympics