Eat.Drink.MPLS

Hello?

2012-04-04T01:12:00.000-05:00

Am I back? I don't think so. Where have I been? Well, a lot of places but yet exactly the same place. A year has gone by since my last post and for some reason this blog has felt like an old friend you want to avoid because it would be too awkward to reconnect. You were once so close and reliant on each other, anything less than that seems wrong. But here I am, after a day of writing a 14 page paper and two blog posts for class, I find myself writing again. It is past my bedtime, half delirious from dissecting two minutes of The King's Speech, and if it weren't for Real Housewives of Orange County, I'd be completely insane.

So, what have I been up to?

As far as eating, I've been doing it like everyday (haha). No, but really, my boyfriend and I have acquired an expensive habit that feeds into our love of not only lists, but crossing things off of them. About once a week, we go to a restaurant we have not been to before. Preferably ones we have heard rave reviews about...whether that means their overall menu, one specific thing (recently The Happy Gnome for steak tartar) a great beer/wine list or a restaurant with a great deal.

The thing is, we don't just split an app, have one drink and call it a day. We like to do the whole meal- appetizer, entreé, sides, dessert and a couple of drinks each. Gluttony at its finest. I'm sure it won't last forever though, I don't think either of us are committed enough to the gym to ever survive.

Between the search for the best steak tartar, oysters and an obsession with brussel sprouts, my food life has been fully satisfying, exciting and adventurous.

While I have eaten more, I have taken less pictures. I felt ashamed when I saw the increase of amateur food pictures and so many "foodies" disrupting the rest of the restaurant with their flash and obvious unawareness for others. Sadly, I don't have immense amounts of pictures to share, but I will show you what has happened since we've last seen each other. Considering I am about to graduate, it seems fitting to reminisce...

What I've Learned Today

2011-04-27T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, today I was a little Tweet-happy. I couldn't help it. I was a part of something so exciting I just needed to share my every thought with all of my many loyal followers. Okay, well that is only partly true, but I did attend a workshop today at Main Street Project as a part of a Phone Justice Policy Day (post for this event will be on MSP's blog later). As a Media Justice Intern at Main Street Project, I found myself at a roundtable with Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and staffers from the offices of Senator Klobuchar and Senator Franken, advocating phone/broadband justice and equality. I was the youngest among some really smart media policy advocates and I was soaking up as much as I could. It was inspiring, informative and at 8 in the morning. After a long, exhausting #mediajustice #mediajustice #mediajustice tweeting filled day, I found myself staring blankly at my pantry. Hungry.

I vowed I would not spend one penny on food this week (other than a few groceries) in an effort to eat healthier and save money. I grabbed my latest Bon Appétit (that provided lots for Easter brunch) and flipped to the cover recipe that claims to be the "simplest, silkiest sauce you'll ever make!" The next thing I knew, I was eating Pasta al Pomodoro. Of course I had to make some modifications; fettuccine instead of spaghetti, dried instead of fresh basil and I added spinach and a dash of honey goat cheese to the sauce. I have to say, it might be one of the best pastas I've ever made at home, and I'm usually not a fan of tomato based pasta sauces. I learned a lot from this recipe. The article related to the recipe points out 8 easy techniques that are applicable to any variation of pasta to ensure a delicious, creamy pasta. I learned it just takes some TLC and lots of salt to make a delicious at pasta at home.

5 Things I've Learned Today:

Adding a lot of salt to pasta water really makes a huge difference. I know we all like to lower the sodium when cooking at home, but it makes a huge difference in the end result. The pasta itself is flavorful, and you can add less salt later on in the preparation. The pasta should taste flavorful without a sauce and if you want to take this up with the Italians who swear by salty pasta water, be my guest.
Tomato sauce at home is easy to make. I just blended two cans of diced tomatoes and cooked with onions and garlic (see recipe). Patience is key, and with enough time and care, the sauce will thicken and become as delicious if not more than sauce from a bottle.
Mothering a sauce is therapeutic. Creating something from a recipe is extremely relaxing after a long day. There is something immensely satisfying about reading a recipe that tells you if you simmer a sauce long enough, it will thicken, and then to do just that and see the desired result.
Finishing a pasta sauce with pasta water and finishing the cooking of the pasta in the sauce, results in perfectly cooked pasta and a wonderful sauce consistency. It is important to cook the sauce and pasta together as equal components; ensuring the sauce coats and cooks each individual noodle. Not just two things that happen to end up on a plate together.
If/when AT&T merges with Tmobile, it will control 80% of the market, creating an extremely powerful monopoly. Sigh...media injustice...At least I can always rely on Bon Appétit. #MediaJustice. Sorry I just had to get one more hashtag out.

A Saucy Easter

2011-04-24T20:12:00.002-05:00

I call it that because it twas a day of sauces. My mom made a béchamel and I tackled a hollandaise a la Eric Ripert. My brother and sister-in-law were in town for the weekend and 24 eggs and 5 sticks of butter later, we had a delicious Easter brunch spread.

Separating egg yolks for the hollandaise

Brown sugar + bacon = candied bacon = irresistible

Can't have Easter without deviled eggs

Roasted asparagus w/parmesan

Asparagus w/ Hollandaise

Gravlax from Ikea (lol)

Bon Appétit walked me through an easy blender hollandaise

Spinach baked w/eggs, parmesan & béchamel sauce

We lazily made Crescent rolls but added a twist with shredded cheddar

Lemon pound cake w/sour cream

Hello? Spring...?

2011-04-01T17:12:00.000-05:00

Can I call it Spring if there is still a lot of snow on the ground? I've already packed away my winter boots and winter jacket because hello, it's April. Hi. Let me re-introduce myself. My name is Lauren, and I love food. Where have I been? Somewhere between under a rock, at work or trying not to skip class. That sounds a lot worse then it really is.

So, what have I been up to? Let me break it down for you.

I now realize why when I tell people I'm a Journalism major they always follow up with, "Oh, so you must like to write?" Lots of paper writing, if you didn't know.

Birthdays. A lot of birthdays in March. Such a good excuse to go out and indulge. Especially when they are 21st Birthdays.

Interning. I have been fortunate enough to get an internship through one of my classes working for an organization that advocates for media justice, Main Street Project. My work with them thus far has been limited, but the few workshops and events I have been to have been really inspiring. They do a lot of work on building communities in Minneapolis and with a variety of media related issues like net neutrality, digital inclusion, racial justice and communication rights; among many others. Below is a photo from the latest People's Tech workshop I attended and it is a timeline that ties together social, political, economic, and media shifts and movements. I wrote a blog post for their website you can see here.

A girls gotta eat! I have to admit, I haven't been eating/cooking nearly as well as I normally like to. It just happens, what can I say. When there are so many easy and convenient places to get on the go, and your dishes aren't doing themselves, it becomes easy to slip into a routine of gyros from Soho Cafe and eggroll salads from Bun Mi. My dad treated me one night to a dinner at Sea Change because he talked me into going with him to "A Talk with David Hyde Pearce" at the Guthrie. My response, "the brother from Frasier? Okay, three degree separation from a Housewife and dinner at James Beard Award winning chef's restaurant....I'm in." And what a meal it was.

Sunday brunch at Be'Wiched means delicious egg sandwiches.

Seared scallops over a ratatouille with lardo (yeah, lardo) from Sea Change

Potato pancake and a berry, walnut spinach salad

And of course, always trying to fit in laughs and naps throughout the days.

Green & Yellow

2011-02-08T13:07:00.000-06:00

MENU:

Sriracha honey wings with blue cheese dip from Pizza Luce (the best)
Dad's wings
Cheese straws
Mock-a-mole and Velveeta cheese dip with tortilla chips
Hummus/veggies
Prosciutto/phyllo wrapped asparagus
Green and gold Amaretto cheesecake

It was quite possibly one of the greatest days of my life. Now, I say this for a variety of reasons. The day began with my company party at the restaurant. It was a typical company party (not that I'd know, seeing as it was my first ever) filled with prizes, decent food and awkward small talk. My co-worker/roommate/friend and I went for the slight chance of winning the coveted top prize- an iPad- or possible any of the "$50+ valued prizes". The iPad was a nogo but I left with some restaurant gift cards (including to my own work) and a nice bottle of wine. I deemed the event as worth waking up earlier than I like to on a Sunday. But what was really on my mind was the rest of the day filled with food prep for the Super Bowl, the game itself and the new episode of Glee on after.

Now, if we have ever had the chance of meeting, you would be aware that two things I am pretty passionate about are food, and the Green Bay Packers. Even though I was born and raised in Minneapolis, my whole family is from Wisconsin. I've always felt I had the best of both worlds; city experiences with smaller town morals. And most importantly, a die hard passion for the green and gold. Being a Packer fan is not really something one chooses. I was born into it and never knew anything different. Thank God.

Somehow the Packers wound up in the Super Bowl. I couldn't believe it. The second they beat the Bears I went into Super Bowl planning mode. "What should we eat? Should we go back to Wisconsin? Should we have people over? Who should we have over? Are the Packers actually going to the Super Bowl?????" It was surreal. I slept in Packer pajamas every night the week before, thought about menu planning every day and had dreams each night related to the Super Bowl. Needless to say, I was excited. By my dad's daily text of "Who's ready?" I knew my family was just as excited.

So we settled on food that would result in the least amount of time in the kitchen during the game. Most of the food we could easily prep or completely make the day and night before. We needed food that could be eaten with one hand so the other was available for plenty of high-five-ing. My dad always makes these delicious sweet wings with soy sauce and Sprite, oddly enough. Because of my Mom's kidney condition we wanted a menu that yielded the most flavors with the least potassium. I liked Bethenny Frankel's version of guacamole with peas because it offered more fiber and less potassium filled avocado. I also decided to make a homemade hummus with tahini because chickpeas are low in potassium. Our Super Bowl "party" was only six people, so we did not want to overdo it.

The food was amazing, and the game somehow topped it. We had family and friends over, and I had one of the most memorable football experiences in my life. Every play, pass, punt, kick, slight motion of the players resulted with me on the edge of my seat, gripping my chair and holding my breath. Words cannot describe the feeling of watching your favorite team win the highest award possible.

For me, football does not exist without food and family. The food was easy, flavorful, football-friendly, spicy and the perfect complement to an amazing day. The day was only made better by a new episode of Glee. What more could a girl ask for?

What's a Super Bowl party without a Super Bowl cookie?

Mom and I assembling asparagus

Such a great party snack. Goes like this: ham or prosciutto wrapped around asparagus, then rolled in phyllo dough with shredded parmesan. Bake on 350 for 12-15 minutes and voila.

Crispy, salty, crunchy

Baked cheese straws made with extra-sharp Wisconsin cheese

These were not the greatest success. Tip: Don't overdo it on the red pepper flakes and DON'T overcook, even for a minute. Resulted in kind of a bitter taste.

My wings: de-lish

Dad's wings

Green and gold Amaretto cheesecake

*Title refers to Lil Wayne's Packer anthem Green & Yellow. If you didn't know, now ya do.

Sorry, but I love fried food

2011-01-20T09:00:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure if it's something worth apologizing for, but I feel there is a certain snobiness related to fried food that only people who "love" food have. Like the way people look at me when I get more excited over the onion rings at my work than the $45 dollar steak. I feel the only way I'll ever have any success in the realm of food writing is if I stop trying to be someone I'm not and start to be completely and utterly honest, for better or for worse...and I'm going to start here. I love food fried. Preferably if its in the form of a ring of onion, cheese, potato, chicken or even tempura (the list could go on). I don't know if there is a better way to greet someone then when my Aunt welcomed my mother and I into her home after a flight to San Francisco with a ready deep frying machine, a plate of soft cheeses and hard cheeses, a couple of spears to use as our deep frying tools, and a couple bottles of champagne.

That's not to say all fried food is good, of course, because there's something blasphemous about soggy or overly greasy food that makes ingredients unrecognizable. It might even be a worse crime when the item being fried is completely lost behind layers and layers of batter. It's also not to say I don't fully enjoy completely fresh and non-fried foods, of course. Onions, asparagus, cheese, chicken potatoes; they all have plenty integrity on their own, but I doubt they mind a little 375° oil bath. I don't care however sophisticated a palate I may one day attain, there will always be a very important place in my heart for the golden, crunchy, crispy food that can only be made once dropped in extremely hot oil. That is, to assume I still have a working heart after a life of loving fried food.

So bring on the calories, bring on the criticism. I'm sorry, but I love fried food. And admit it, you do too.

Goodbye Town Talk Diner

2011-01-19T13:09:00.000-06:00

Sadly, I will have to remove Town Talk Diner from my "Where Should You Eat" list on my blog because they will be closing their doors. This was a great place to get great comfort food, as they specialized in the "finer diner". Great burgers, mac n cheese, fried chicken, various apps...It was the perfect juxtaposition of fine high quality dining and causal diner comfort food, demonstrated by the server's attire of blue jeans and black suit coats. Although I never got to try them, they also had a great list of award winning cocktails, including a bacon infused martini. It was cool to have such a gem in its location on Lake Street, which is not a place where you can normally find many places with food of such high quality. The location and lack of parking proved to be the pitfall, although I'm surpried business was hurting because I know it was a cherished South Minneapolis spot. But restaurants will always close and new ones will open.

Town Talk Diner, you will be missed.

It's a good thing I was able to bring my cousin from out of town there this summer before they closed.

Read here for more information.

A Homemade Life

2011-01-15T12:40:00.001-06:00

As a journalism student who is spends a good amount of time analyzing books, summarizing content and articulating thoughts on content somewhat irrelevant to me, I find myself trying to do the same thing in my free time, but about food. I recently finished A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, the creator of Orangette. She is an inspiration to me not only for her cooking and writing abilities, but mostly her ability to confidently articulate her perspective on food, something I'm striving to do. Her book demonstrates her perspective on food, and it is one that centers around her personal kitchen, and her family. She shares personal stories that range from her first heartbreak from a boy in France, to her father's death to a new found love of bananas, all the way to her blog that led her to her husband; all equipped with relating recipes. Food was important in her life growing up, but I don't think it was something she realized to be as important as it was. Making prunes at midnight with her father was a normal occasion, and she didn't realize it was something worth writing about until later in her life. After reading about her childhood, her experiences in France and her many personal instances with food, I can't help but reflect on my own perspective on food and how it has been shaped throughout my life thus far.

By perspective on food, I mean the way one eats, thinks and talks about food. For some, food is something that comes three times a day, or maybe even less, or in the form of a power bar and between a busy life. For others, it is what they think about when they wake up and what they think about when they go to bed. I believe I am one of those people of the latter. But it has not always been this way. I believe the way we look at food is shaped in our childhood and how it has acted as a part in our lives throughout birthdays, holidays, and the everyday. I often wish I had stories like Molly. She has the kind of "homemade" stories you only read about (literally) like her mother's famous blueberry-raspberry pound cake or her father's famous potato salad. She grew up in a house full of cooks and without any kind of artificial food. I wish I could say the same, but that is just not the childhood I had. But my parents did their best with what they had and what they knew. There was absolutely no sugary cereal allowed in the house, but we had a fully stocked pantry of Kraft mac 'n cheese (an absolute childhood favorite). My mom didn't want us to eat fast food, but allowed it for long car rides to Wisconsin or after visits to the Doctor's office (there was a McDonald's right next door). My mother NEVER succumbed to any kind of TV dinner or microwaveable dinner, in fact we never even had a microwave, but we did always have Jack's frozen pizza on hand. (Well, as a side note, Jack's originated in the tiny town in Wisconsin where my dad is from, Little Chute, and my parents always love to show me the tiny building where it started and then the six mansions in Little Chute where the employees live after Kraft bought it. A little bit of small town pride, I guess.) I have to admit, I was a picky eater. I have to hand it to my mom for putting up with my fits every night around 5:30 when she would tell me what was for dinner and I would cry because she told me it was either what she was making, or nothing at all. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved to eat. Not to say I loved food per say, but from a young age I did know I preferred white sauce over red sauce when it came to pasta, and that tomato soup was best when used as a dip for a grilled cheese sandwich.

To sum it up, I would say, me-picky, but loved to eat, brother-happy with anything containing meat but absolutely NO salads, dad- happy if its cheap and filling; always strapped with coupons, mom- an undercover adventurous foodie stuck in a house full of white bread lovers. It's a good thing I learned to love food so my mom and I can cook food so good, my dad doesn't care how much the prosciutto costs, and my brother married a woman who has taught him to eat meals containing leaves. And even more thankfully, my mother managed to phase out white bread by the time I was in middle school, and my family learned to love whole wheat. Also, to give my mom some more credit, I ALWAYS knew any kind of cookie, cake or brownie was to be made from scratch, not a box.

I could write on and on about the way food played a part in my childhood, and I likely will, but I want to save that for a later date. Molly's book really helped me understand how to articulate a relationship with food beyond simply raving how good something tastes or how fun it was to make. She did not go to culinary school, or do any kind of serious study of food, but she learned about food through the threads of her everyday life, from cooking with her parents to living in France. She shares various recipes that really aren't even recipes, rather ingredients to assemble in order to create something delicious. She is not pretentious about food, but rather has a genuine passion for it, and this comes through in her writing. I feel/worry there are so many rules to being a foodie. Like, if you enjoy Bisquick pancakes you CLEARLY know nothing about pancakes. Or, there is no room for Kraft cheese singles or Velveeta cheese in a real foodie's kitchen! Let's be honest, there is no better cheese dip than Velveeta and salsa, and Kraft singles really do melt nicely for a toasted cheese sandwich. The point is, there are no rules when it comes to a relationship with food because everyone's is different. Molly writes about food in an approachable way where it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy Bisquick pancakes, because really, they do taste so good.

Sure, we are not able to travel to France as children and enjoy pain au chocolat, and we don't all have famous grandmother recipes passed on for generations, but we each have our own homemade perspective on food that is unique to us. We remember the food we brought to school for lunch, the special meal eaten only at our birthday and of course, Thanksgiving. And these memories are all for better, or for worse. The best thing about that is, it can, and will, always be changing. I often forget how young I am and how much I still have to learn about food and life, but I am excited I've found this kind of passion at such a young age, even if it has started much younger for others. I now have the rest of my life to try new foods, cook new dishes and travel to new places. I can't say I would have the same excitement or eagerness to explore food if it was something ingrained into me my whole life. Molly's book has inspired me to continue reading and writing about food. Her book taught me ways to intertwine personal stories with food, and how to write about food in an interesting way. Right after I finished her book, I hopped on Amazon and purchased three new books that are currently on my reading queue.

Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything
The Best Food Writing of 2010
Dianne Jacob's Will Write for Food

As always, I'd love to hear any suggestions about the realm of food literature. Well, or just food for that matter.

New tastes, old favorites

2010-12-31T01:43:00.002-06:00

Now that I have a minute or two to sit down, collect my breath, kick my feet up, watch some Glee with the roomie and enjoy a free bottle of Caymus, I can reflect on what I've been doing, and more importantly eating, for the last couple of weeks. In the midst of unlimited college finals, 5 shifts a week at my new job (in the restaurant biz :) ) and trying to prepare for the holiday season and everything that comes with that, I've been able to try new foods, new places and enjoy various familiarities. And since it's the end of the year, I feel it appropriate to make a list. So, you ask, what have I been eating?

1. New tastes. My roomie talked me into an impromptu lunch/late breakfast at Victor's 1959 and I was excited to try their Cuban cuisine. Yum. A nice twist on your normal egg/breakfast dish. Nice kick to start the day. If nothing else, the food is as colorful as the brightly painted and graffiti-signed walls.

Ranchero Cubano

My roommate ordered the Ranchero Cubano because she loves anything and everything cheesy with eggs and any kind of beans. I ordered the hash because of my love of potatoes at all times of the day and in this dish, learned my new-found love of plantains, specifically fried plantains. Other than the questionable liquid on the plate from the beef, it was a delicious breakfast.

Cuban Hash

2. New tastes. Blackbird Cafe. So excited about this place. Beautiful decor, and a menu that literally spoke to me and said, "What's up Lauren? Hungry?" My mom and I found time on a busy day of Christmas shopping to stop in a new neighborhood place that is replacing its original burned down location. Spicy peanut noodles, bahn mi and french fries at the same place? Sold. When the waitress told me the sous chef was Vietnamese, I decided on the bahn mi and didn't regret it. The fries came with a delicious rosemary mayo that was really unexpected and delish. My mom got the celery brie soup. Surprisingly light and delicious.

3. New gifts. It was a cooking themed Christmas, just as I had hoped. My boyfriend got me a rice cooker, a cook book and a bottle of wine; my roommate got me new wine glasses and my family gave me a new cutting board and more cookbooks. I've got lots of reading to do.

I wanted this for obvious reasons.

Molly Wizenberg, food blogger turned Bon Appetit writer, aka who-I-want-to-be

Again, obvious reasons.


Seasonal, Minnesotan recipes from the Junior League.

My boyfriend had a cooking Christmas as well with the "beginners kit" I made him including kitchen shears, spices and a skillet.

4. Old favorites. Grand Cafe. I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of my favorite restaurants in Minneapolis. Warm, comforting and just my kind of food. Minus a small mishap on my boyfriend's order, he enjoyed his Cuban-esque sandwich and I enjoyed my familiar eggs in cocotte. His, confit pork with ham and a spicy/sweet dijon aioli. Mine, poached eggs, truffle cream and puff pastry. So creamy, cheesy, comforting and delicious. I have to admit, anytime I drive down 38th I have to talk myself out of pulling over and grabbing a quick bite.

5. New tastes. Renewing my license for my upcoming 21st birthday (!) was a good enough excuse as any for a trip to the Midtown Global Market. While Manny's Tortas is my usual go-to, I decided to try Taqueria Los Ocampos because of all the good things I've heard. I'm usually not a fan of corn-made products, such as corn tortillas or corn muffins, but this quesadilla sounded good. It was so good. They have a lot of traditional Mexican dishes (menudo, hourache, sincronizada) and of course tacos, burritos and my personal favorite, quesadillas. I chose marinated pork and devoured every bite of this crunchy, cheesy, refreshing, warm and satisfying quesadilla. With Spanish rice and refried beans on the side, it was the perfect lunch after waiting in line at the DMV.

6. While I am aware a list consisting of six items is strange and makes no sense, I really want to add that throughout the past couple of months, when I have had spare time for what I like to call ReadingIdon'thavetoreadforschool, I have finished Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. For those of you who have read it, you know what I mean when I say this book is a must read for anyone who thinks they know anything about the restaurant industry. My glamorous new job has kept me for numerous hours in the restaurant's coat "room" (more of a tiny, hot, smelly closet with too many innocent, yet soft animals on coat hangers.) I had ample opportunities to read this book, which became particularly interesting as I read it while actually being in a restaurant similar to the ones Bourdain writes about. I really enjoyed the book and Bourdain's style of writing and am hungry for more Bourdain books, but particularly, food books.

So there it is. Six small bites of what I'm been up to for the last couple weeks. Not to mention my numerous over-welcomed training meals at my new job. And now, I ask you..what have you been eating?

Training meal...

Szchuan Spice

2010-12-13T19:47:00.002-06:00

Ordered Szechuan Spice as my first Chinese delivery to my new (September...) apartment. When better than on a cold/snowed in night of studying for finals and watching football.

Kind of expensive, but well worth it and I highly recommend. Especially the Szechuan cold noodles. Skip the cream cheese wontons.

City Page's review: Szechuan Spice takes over the Zen space in LynLake

Dakota's Brie & Apple Soup

2010-12-10T14:42:00.002-06:00

Minnesota Brie & Apple soup. I've tried to make it myself, but it didn't come close to the Dakota's original version. My mom used to get it all the time when it was first served when the Dakota was in Bandana Square, and we were so sad when it was discontiuned on the menu.

We were so excited to learn they were bringing it back for a week to celebrate 25 years of the Dakota, and luckily we made it by the last night it was being served.

It was just as good as we remembered, and even had the added additions of bread crumbs, apples and applesauce. It was also poured table side, which was a nice touch.

We licked up every last drop (it wasn't nearly enough).

A trip down memory lane! Hopefully the Dakota can bring back this soup regularly..

I also got to test my new phone's camera. So, so...

Ode to Figlio's Tortellini

2010-12-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

I'd just like to thank Il Gatto for featuring a section on their new menu at their newly revamped-cat/Italian themed, black walled restaurant titled, "Can't Get Over Figlio?" The answer is no, we cannot. And by "we" I'm referring to my friend and myself who have loved Figlio's "Tortellini Baronessa" for years now. And, apparently we are not alone due to the fact it has been one of seven menu items to be carried over from a previously extensive Figlio's menu.

Now, this is a simple dish. Creamy, tender little tortellini presents of goodness filled with cheese, salty/chewy shavings of prosciutto, little al dente green peas, and of course, plenty of creamy/buttery goodness with tons of bread on the side to soak up all the extra sauce (and please, no mushrooms).

It's reminiscent of a dish my mom makes after ever Thanksgiving (like I've said, we have ham, not Turkey) called "noodles and ham"with linguine, chunks of honey baked ham, peas and a wonderful cream sauce with lots of shredded Parmesan on top.

Although, I believe it is overpriced/under-served, it is rich, filling, comforting, and reliably delicious.

So, once again, thank you Il Gatto for providing us with this Figlio treat.

For the love of curry

2010-12-07T19:17:00.000-06:00

I love curry because it can have the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I was craving to cook, try some kind of pineapple curry and craving to try my new sweet yellow curry powder from Penzey's. I stopped at The Wedge on my way home from class and picked up some fresh veggies I thought would be delicious in a curry and also some Thai basil, which I have never tried but new would be perfect for a curry. I couldn't find a decent recipe for yellow curry that used yellow curry powder, so I pretty much just went with what I had, and what sounded like it would work.

I sauteed the veggies (carrots, red bell pepper, canned pineapple, canned tomatoes, onion) in some oil, and once they were softened, but not totally cooked, I added some coconut milk, the Thai basil and a lot of the curry powder along with some cayenne for added heat. I covered the pan and let the curry simmer to let all the flavors marry and develop.

I used chopped Thai basil and scallions as garnish.

I served the curry over white rice made in chicken broth (my fav way to make rice fluffy). It was an experiment, for sure, but it turned out really delicious. I was in love with the sweetness the coconut milk provided and the tartness from the pineapple, although in the future I'd add more cayenne for more spice. The basil was fragrant similar to Italian basil, but in a different way I can't really explain. I got to try new ingredients and I'm excited to try this dish many more times, assuming I made mistakes. I'd love to learn more recipes using sweet yellow curry so I can really, truly learn to make curry, so please share any you may have!

It was also delicious today when I served the leftovers over quinoa!

P.s. I'm trying to find a place in my house that has proper lighting for food..the pictures I have been taking don't do the food justice.

Best Thanksgiving. Ever.

2010-11-25T23:22:00.001-06:00

I could go into great detail about how wonderful the white balsamic was with the roasted carrots and parsnips, or how the roasted sweet potato wedges were perfect with the sour cream chile sauce, or how rosemary added subtle fragrance to almost every dish, but I feel that would bore just about anyone but myself. I know we all had wonderful, beautiful, exquisite, delicious Thanksgivings in our own unique ways, so I feel the best way to share my own is through pictures. And when it comes down to it, what do we remember about Thanksgiving..the new cooking techniques and flavors, or the great conversation had while eating?

My Thanksgiving consisted of me, my mom, dad and our new kitty. The thing is, for me, the new recipes and techniques are the most exciting part because my family I should be catching up with and exchanging stories with is all in Wisconsin. And while we had great conversation, my mom and I had too much fun cooking for five hours and testing Bon Appétit recipes I'm sure will be at Thanksgivings to come.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving 2.0 with more traditional fair including turkey and mashed potatoes. Today, we tried four new Bon Appétit recipes along with a couple traditional ones. We have always had ham growing up because my mom claims we never liked turkey, so today we made ham. I hope your Thanksgivings were as memorable, warm, comforting and of course, delicious as mine.

I felt, that this year we had the most delicious Thanksgiving ever. Everything from scratch (except Pillsbury crescent roll, which are so perfect I don't even want to attempt making biscuits) and everything included fresh produce, fresh herbs and simple ingredients. I knew we were in for a good Thanksgiving when our shopping list was more than predominantly fresh produce. It was perfect. Our menu consisted of:

Sweet Potato Wedges with Smoked Chile Cream
Sage Sausage and Apple Dressing my absolute favorite dressing of all time, I wait 364 days for it
Celery and Pear Bisque a new favorite- very light, subtle but delicious
Roasted Cranberry Sauce with Herbed Candied Walnuts
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with White Balsamic
Bone-in smoked ham from Everett's with a homemade apple/butter glaze
Of course, Pillsbury crescent rolls

Glazing the ham

White Thanksgiving

Takes muscle to mix dressing

Unlimited chopping, peeling, mincing

Mom got a crack at her new immersion blender!

mmmmmm....ham

I'd love to hear your Thanksgiving stories and recipes, so please comment!

Our new unnamed kitty says happy Thanksgiving!

Late Night at Corner Table

2010-11-24T15:03:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to attend a late night dinner at Scott Pampuch's Corner Table put on by KBEM's restaurantour. It was a pre-set dinner with a Belgium theme paired with Belgium beer. Although I could not participate in the beer tasting, I enjoyed their housemade soda: cranberry ginger-ale with rosemary; both seasonal and refreshing.

Pampuch made it known exactly whose restaurant it was when he alerted a customer that it is not a good idea to stand on a chair and unscrew a light bulb, no matter how glaring the light may be. Apparently, the team at Corner Table has more than succeeded at creating a "home-y" feel to their restaurant because it was obvious this customer felt he was at home. Needless to say I think it is a good idea to leave the housekeeping to the staff. Despite this minor stresser, the team was able to produce 40 meals without a hitch.

Pampuch is well known in the city for being a leader and active advocate of local food and local farm support. This was more than evident in his food that night with local rabbit (no, not ones running down Nicollet, but a farm) local vegetables and cream and butter like I've never tasted. I could not stop slathering that butter over the perfect bread offered, which I assume was baked at Rustica. Pampuch also noted the simplicity of "just cream" which was featured on his dessert. No extra stuff like honey and sugar, but delicious pure whipped cream.

Thousand Hills cattle grassfed beef and fried potatoes "steak frites"

Rabbit terrine with braised rabbit and vegetables in an apple cider

Belgium waffle with Belgium chocolate, cookie and cream

I like the irony of celebrating and using local ingredients and farms to create Belgium cuisine. From the couple sips I stole from my Mother's beer, I could see the why the beers were paired with the food. None of the beers were too heavy or overly powerful and offered complementary flavors.

It was a warm evening on a very cold night. One that ended with me spending 20 minutes thawing my Mom's car and chipping at the inch of ice that accumulated during dinner. Nonetheless, it was a night filled with delicious food, new flavors (I didn't know I liked brussel sprouts and rabbit) and great conversation (other then when everyone told their own rabbit story..not so appetizing while eating one)

Pre-Blog

2010-11-19T18:32:00.000-06:00

I was always told to not play with my food, but for a long time now I've been guilty of taking pictures of my food. I often embarrass my friends in restaurants and halt my family's dinner to take pictures of the food we are about to eat. I mean it took effort to prepare, why not appreciate that both in the moment and later visually? It is also a good way to remember recipes I've enjoyed or dishes I've ordered. I'd like to share some of my favorite food photographs from this past summer that are pb. Pre-blog. The reason I started this blog was because I knew I needed something to do with all of these pictures. So please, enjoy viewing as much as I enjoyed eating them!

My mom and I attempted a Bobby Flay salad with shrimp and mangoes (grilled tomato and avocado on the side)

I made the delicious pasta featured on Food Network's June issue

Red pepper, tomato, basil, garlic and provolone open-faced sandwich

Sweet potatoes and onions on the grill

Grilled potatoes, veggies and pork on the grill

Lemon and garlic green beans, Sicilian penne with cauliflower and grilled chicken

Findings from the Farmer's Market

Basil gnocchi with heirloom tomatoes and toasted pine nuts

Grilled chicken, potatoes and peaches a la Lee Swanson

Basil linguine with fresh basil, tomatoes and parm

Vegetable tempura from Sushi Tango

Ratatouille pasta at Lucia's

Asparagus soup with basil and goat cheese

Breakfast at Grand Cafe

Roasted tomato ravioli with capers from French Meadow Bakery

Spaghetti Squash vs. Butternut Squash

2010-11-15T16:59:00.002-06:00

Apparently there is a difference? I've learned...

My sister in-law (first time saying that!) asked me about spaghetti squash after the posting of my last blog entry about my butternut squash soup. She asked me if I had ever made it and her friend Keegan responded with a recipe she has used before to make it. To be honest, I have never looked much into spaghetti squash. I think every time I heard it I sort of ignored it because I didn't know what it was. Interesting how we do that? I thought it was one of those overly complicated things I'd never be able to do, until I looked at the recipe she posted. It not only didn't look complicated, but it sounded amazing.

After a weekend of road-tripping, my friend/roommate so very kindly brought me home two butternut squashes from her grandmother's garden. I was thrilled and knew exactly what I wanted to try.

It has taken me a week to write and post this entry because I was disheartened after I tried to make this dish. I used the recipe Keegan had recommended, and my boyfriend and I got some wine (recommended from a wine consultant at Surdyk's to pair with butternut squash) a baguette, and some delicious Parmesan cheese. We had fun preparing this dish together and I even put Drew to work on grating the cheese and mincing the garlic. After baking the squashes for an hour, I was disappointed to slice them open and find a very firm, not spaghetti like, texture. I felt stupid because I didn't know if I overcooked it or hadn't cooked it enough, so I put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes. When it came out, I started to shred the insides as much as I could with a fork to create some kind of stringy concoction to put in my pan with oil and garlic. Not only was I burning my hand, but I was overworking the other by forcing the squash to shred with a fork. I was getting very frustrated when the squash was coming out as just a mushy pureé. I continued to add the squash to the sauteé pan with a lot of minced garlic and a lot of oil and a little butter. I mixed in the cheese and came out with something like closer to a spread.

Doesn't look like spaghetti to me?

As we were drinking wine and spreading this mixture over the baguette, I was disappointed by the fact it was not what I was trying to make, even though it still tasted very delicious. Drew kept telling me I didn't have to define it or make a name for it, because it tasted good. Butternut squash spread? Butternut squash pureé? Dip? Should I eat it with a fork or spread it on the bread? Isn't that too much starch?? I gave up and stuffed my face with squash and bread.

Turns out, I wasn't a total failure. After telling this story to my mother, she was like, "well you need a spaghetti squash to do that, a butternut squash won't work". Like, "duh Lauren, everyone knows that". Turns out, it is good to look into ingredients you don't know about. The experience taught me a lot about mishaps in the kitchen and how to adjust, and how to not let them get you too discouraged. I ended up with a satisfying, yummy meal and learned something new about squash. I also have a new determination to get a real spaghetti squash and make this dish.

Yes, we were eating on the floor

P.S. I don't know much about wine, but the consultant at Surdyk's sure did. He took us directly to wine on sale called Chateau Ste Michelle, a Syrah from Columbia Valley, that was very delicious with the butternut squash, and I recommend it as a wine that is not overpowering and very complementary to bolder flavors. But like I said, I'm only a wine connoisseur in training :).

Fall in a Bowl

2010-11-02T21:55:00.001-05:00

It's a classic. I mean, it really is. Butternut squash soup. But why stop there? I added an apple, onion and sweet potato. After exploiting my mother at the grocery store yesterday, I came home to a fully stocked pantry and fridge. I was so excited to come home and survey my produce and come up with something delicious for dinner. I decided to use my butternut squash for a soup. My sweet potatoes, apples, onions and garlic looked like they wanted to join, so I decided to search online for a recipe including these ingredients. After searching through about a dozen recipes, I decided to take matters into my own hands and do simply what I thought would taste good. It turned out wonderfully, and definitely a flavor combination I'll keep in my back pocket. I'm not a huge fan of writing recipes because I like to taste as I go and when it comes to soup, you don't really need measurements. Once you know certain simple techniques it is so easy to make a soup and you can add flavor as you'd like. I'd love to share the method and ingredients that went into making my wonderful soup.

INGREDIENTS:

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 Apple, peeled and chopped (I used honeycrisp)
1 Sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
3-4 cups of chicken broth and water depending on choice of consistency
Olive oil for sprinkling over vegetables before roasting
Salt & pepper
I used varied sprinkles of:

Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Chili powder
Sage
Ground ginger

Green onions (chopped, optional garnish)

I began by chopping up all the produce (with no peeler, I may add...took quite a while to peel a potato, squash and apple with just a knife) and massaged some some salt, pepper and olive oil throughout. Then I threw it in the oven at 425 to roast for about 30 minutes. Roasting the vegetables allows them to soften and be able to be blended and also brings out their natural flavors. My house smelled so amazing I couldn't wait to take them out of the oven. When you are roasting vegetables, they sometimes make a whistling sound that lets you know they are done, but you can also use a fork to make sure they are tender. I added the roasted veggies to a large pot with the stock and then the fun began. I added the liquid and produce to a blender in small amounts to ensure it didn't overflow. I added veggies, stock, veggies, stock until I found a texture I liked. The potato and squash are so starchy that it is easy for the mixture to turn into a thick pureé, rather than a soup so make sure to add liquid accordingly to make it as thick/thin as you like. I personally prefer a consistency that is smooth, creamy, and not too thick. I want to add that the soup does not include any cream, milk or butter and still reached a wonderful texture with just water, olive oil and stock. Once you have all of the veggies pureed, return to large pot and put over heat. Add spices, herbs, and liquid accordingly to taste. I garnished my bowl with some finely chopped scallions.

The most important thing about making a soup is to not worry. There is so much room for error and you can always adjust flavors and textures. Too salty or spicy? Add a little bit of water. Too thin? Add a little more olive oil or a little bit of cornstarch. Soup is an empty canvas and is open and willing for whatever you have to offer. So add what you love, and enjoy!

The soup turned out better than I could have expected. The cinnamon and nutmeg offered such a warm and comforting flavor that reminded me of the holidays. The chili powder left a spicy kick after each bite that gave so much flavor. My roommate and I enjoyed alongside a baguette and great conversation. It was a hit and will definitely be made again. Keep in mind, this recipe fully fed three (food-loving) girls.

If you would like an actual recipe that is similar to this, look here. Although, I recommend adding some more spices!

Beso wanted to watch me cook

Disclaimer: please don't actually fall into a bowl, just enjoy the flavors of fall, in a bowl. :)

Weddings and Galas and Buffets, oh my!

2010-10-26T20:16:00.003-05:00

Yes, my big brother got married this weekend. But what's really exciting is all the good food I got to eat!

Thursday night:
Rehearsal dinner at Jensen's Supper Club. Delicious supper club-y type food including popovers, chicken in a creamy bacon sauce and chocolate cake. Pretty much everything I didn't want to eat the night before I squeeze myself into a bridesmaid dress, but well worth it.

Friday night:
The wedding! Buca catered and it was amazing. Penne pasta with chicken breast, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and peas tossed in a white wine cream sauce, prosciutto stuffed chicken in a pesto cream sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and an Italian salad. It was a dangerous buffet but I managed to keep it to one trip. We ate amongst family, friends and candlelight and listened as Katie Gearty and the Tanner Taylor Trio provided the music. The music was beautiful and the food was a definite hit amongst the crowd. The food was comforting, familiar, yet sophisticated enough for a wedding reception.

The cake went along with the fall theme of the wedding. It was apple spice with cream cheese frosting and absolutely delicious. I love a dessert that is savory and sweet and the spiced apples were perfect with the frosting.

Each table was sprinkled with Hershey chocolates that had fall themed flavors like caramel apple and pumpkin spice. The bottom of the kisses had phrases from the poem that was read during the ceremony "I carry your heart" by ee cummings. They also said "Mr. and Mrs. Jansen" and the date of the wedding. It was a very cute and original idea and the guests loved to try the different flavors.

Saturday night:

40th anniversary of Jazz 88, KBEM. A wonderful reason to celebrate and a wonderful reason for delicious food. The event was held at the International Market Square and was catered by the in-house catering company, D'Amico catering. I happened to have worked for D'Amico and at IMS many a times and was honored to be a guest. I got to get dressed up and actually enjoy the event and the food, rather than spilling it all over me and quickly stuffing it in my face behind the scenes. Ever wonder why a server walks out with a plate full of h'orderves and one is missing? Yeah, I didn't think you did. I ate on my own terms and enjoyed each of the buffets that displayed eats of various D'Amico restaurants. 3 Tiers Cakes provided the cake and cupcakes including a surprisingly delicious bacon/banana/honey Elvis inspired cupcake.

International Market Square

Spicy fried calamari with aioli, beef short ribs and bruschetta

Taco with chicken in chipotle sauce

3 Tiers chocolate cupcake and Elvis cupcake with bacon

Karrin Allyson and the Wolverines Big Band


Overlooking the wedding crowd at the James J. Hill Library

It was an exhausting, overwhelming, emotional, wonderfully delicious, busy weekend to say the least but had to be one of the best weekends of my life. I got to spend a lot of time with family and eat a lot of delicious food. What more could a girl want?

Romanesco Cauliflower and a Trip to the Farmer's Market

2010-10-18T15:45:00.002-05:00

My mom and I were lucky enough/willing to pay for a very cool event at the Mill City Farmer's Market on Saturday that included a tour of the market followed by lunch at Spoon River where Brenda Langton (founder of the market) is the executive chef. It was a seasonably cool, yet very sunny fall day and happened to be the last of the Farmer's Market for this season. The weather felt right, cloggers were clogging away in the middle of the market, and farmers were offering their best produce of the season in attempts to sell enough until next season. As I sipped my Guatemalan iced coffee (an interesting choice for a cool day, as a random lady pointed out to me) I listened to the Director of the Farmer's Market, Marjorie Hegstrom explain the history/message behind the market. If you haven't visited this particular market, you really have to when it reopens in May.

Beautiful purple kale

Located on the river between the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie theater, is the five year old Mill City Farmer's Market. It is the perfect place for the market because it mirrors the trading model of producer straight to consumer that started in that very location when Minneapolis began. The market was started for the people of Minneapolis to be able to purchase a wide variety of products that are grown locally and on sustainable and often organic farms. I was so inspired after our tour about the different ideas and concepts the market aims toward and I have since become eager to learn more about this movement. I learned the term "locavore" to describe someone who eats and purchases their products locally. A couple of really cool things I learned about the market:

To be a vendor, farmers have to fill out an application where they explain their farming practices and philosophies.
To be considered sustainable and organic, which a majority of the vendors do, a third party has to approve their application as well to ensure they follow through with these practices.
All the vendors of the market are from Minnesota or Wisconsin with three exceptions; and these exceptions stay true to the market's model of having the actual makers of the product at the market selling their product. These exceptions include:

Four different types of garlic

A family from Italy who makes olive oil on their land in Sicily
A fisherman who sells the salmon he catches from Alaska
A Guatemalan family who sells coffee throughout the season at the market and returns to Guatemala in the winter to harvest more (delicious coffee by the way)

Every Saturday the market offers demonstrations done by professional chefs that use products sold at the market in order to educate people about the vegetables they are purchasing. This is so people are not so intimidated by products at the market. You get to taste the food they make and then take home the recipes.
One of the beautiful things about the Farmer's Market is that you can buy a wide variety of produce that you cannot by in a grocery store. One vendor offered four different kinds of garlic and could explain the purposes of each and another vendor was selling Romanesco cauliflower alongside regular cauliflower.

This is where the excitement really kicks in. My mom and I opted for the Romanesco cauliflower, over the beloved regular cauliflower because of the recommendation of the farmer. If you have never seen or heard of this, you are in the same boat I was.

Turns out, it is absolutely delicious. I made it the next day during the Packer game. I cut it into smaller florets, just as I would cauliflower and then browned it in olive oil with some sliced garlic we also purchased at the market. Then I added a splash of lemon juice and some water and covered it, allowing it to steam for about 10 minutes. The result was a very flavorful, tender cauliflower-like dish. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend it.

It was an educational day to say the least. I left feeling inspired about the "locavore" movement and want to do what I cant to learn more as well as educate others about the importance of eating locally and sustainably. It is a movement that can improve the economy, health and environment within different communities. And with farmer's markets such as our very own Mill City, it isn't very difficult.

I'm sure I will be writing more about local food, but for more information you can look here: How to be a Locavore.

I'd also like to give credit to World Savvy for putting on the event. The tour and lunch was put on by them in efforts to raise awareness about global food problems. The day offered an interesting juxtaposition between eating locally while thinking globally and I encourage anyone and everyone to look into their organization because they are doing a lot of great work toward what they call "global competency."

P.S. Spoon River has gone from my "To Do" list to my "Where to Eat" list!

Favorite Fall Foods

2010-10-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

Fall brings around some of the best fruits, vegetables and dishes of the year. Things like butternut squash soup, pumpkin bread and fresh honeycrisp apples are just a couple of my favorite season foods. The flavors are warmer and more comforting and offer me a sense of nostalgia. The colors of fall produce are colored as vibrantly as the trees with bright red apples and orange, yellow and green root vegetables like pears, squash and potatoes. Eating seasonally is a major part of sustainable food and is a great way to eat healthier, eat locally and to eat produce at its peak. I found a great website that can guide you to know what is season week by week that is called Eat the Seasons.

I want to share with you some recipes I've made and have found to be absolutely delicious and some I can't wait to try. They showcase the season's flavors and will make your whole house smell like a big fat hug. So please, enjoy. Enjoy fall for everything it has to offer and don't be too down about summer ending, too stressed out about back to school or even about the upcoming holidays. Although, I don't blame you for stressing about Brett Favre because he can do that to ya.

I'd love to know...what are some of your favorite fall foods?

Wing Dinged

2010-10-01T11:12:00.002-05:00

There are a few (well, many) perks that come along with my parents working in the "biz". And by "biz" I mean the only biz that might be dying faster than newspapers. My dad works for Clear Channel, which happens to sponsor a lot of charities and organizations as a copy writer and my mom is a voice talent/radio station manager (KBEM 88.5) who happens to like to talk a lot. So, combining their radio powers, my dad donates his time to write PSAs for an organization called Tubman Family Alliance and my mom lends her voice for the spots. The point is, my boyfriend and I got a free night of eating wings and desserts at an event called Wing Ding.

What a concept? For the 17th time, the Wing Ding brings together local restaurants at the Depot in Downtown Minneapolis to showcase their wings, various rubs, sauces and even homemade blue cheese sauces. Don't worry ranch lovers, there was plenty of that too. Throw in some desserts, beer, root beer, a silent auction and live jazz music, and you got yourself a really fun event for a really good cause.

Now, for the wings. I am not a particularly huge wing person because I don't like to eat food that requires a lot of work and they tend to be messy/sticky/gooey, but these wings were worth it. There were about 20 or so booths of food and we tried something from just about every one of them. The wings ranged from Asian sesame to honey barbecue to one so spicy it made my boyfriend cry (well, his eyes were watering). I leaned toward the less spicy flavors to avoid ruining my tastebuds.

One of my favorites from the event included an absolutely delicious carrot cake muffin (I had two) from Ray-Js. This little muffin did everything you want a carrot cake to do; creamy, moist, sweet, crunchy, salty and a wonderful bite after a spicy wing.

I also enjoyed a wing that was kind of unique from moto-I. It was sweeter, and the guy said the sauce had plum in it. I have wanted to try this restaurant for a while now because they the first place to brew sake outside of Japan. I thought it was kind of funny that they added a little cilantro to the top of their wing to make it look fancier. Or something.

The only free non-alcoholic choice, but it was perfect with the wings

Herkimer's offered a nice plate assortment with a spicy wing, a bbq wing, blue cheese and celery

Lyon's Pub uniquely flagged their wings

Green Mill had a Jim Beam wing that actually tasted like Jim Beam

Mini strawberry shortcake from Joe's Garage.

So I overbid on a Minneapolis print (whatever, at least it was for a local artist and good cause), we lost on a bid for 4 VIP tickets to the Daily Show, left completely full of enough wings my stomach could hold, and Tubman raised a lot money. Can't wait for next year.

Monday Night Football

2010-09-28T19:27:00.000-05:00

Well, at least the food was good. I wish I could say the same about the outcome of last night's game, but I can definitely say the food and family was good. I had made a French silk pie for my boyfriend's birthday and thought he needed good excuse to come over to watch a Packer's game with my parents. It turned out really well and was truly as decadent as it was light. I got the recipe from this blog.

Meatball subs with spinach, provolone, basil and garlic bread

Classic: velveeta and picante dip with chips

Fall lineup!

2010-09-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

There is an exciting new lineup this fall and I'm not referring to new episodes of Glee (Britney Spears tonight anyone?!?). No, I am referring to the re-opening and opening of restaurants in Minneapolis. Check out this article for more information:

Fugaise Rises! Plus: Other Restaurants Opening This Fall - Dara & Co. - September 2010 - Minnesota

You better believe I will be going to these restaurants and taking a look for myself. Plus, a family friend of mine, Pete Thillen will be the sous chef at inSeason Restaurant!

Really?

2010-09-18T20:55:00.001-05:00

After stuffing my face full of D'amico catered food at work, I returned to my usual routine of re-checking Facebook, Twitter and Food Gawker. You see, I've been sitting at the front desk of the Weisman since about noon today and have (what feels like) looked at every single page of every single website that is online. (Okay, kind of an exaggeration) Just when I thought I had exhausted just about every source of online entertainment, I stumbled upon this article:

14 Uses for Your Microwave

Let me just say one thing about this article. It has to soften butter and to melt butter as two separate uses. I really hope the average Yahoo reader doesn't really need a list of ways to use their microwave, because if that is the case, I am very, very sad. It is hilarious to say the least and the comments people left are even funnier.

So please, enjoy.

Also, please don't use a microwave to cook bacon or "toast" anything. Thank you.