Bite Of Minnesota

Party season is approaching quickly.  It is kicked off by Thanksgiving and all the gatherings with family and friends.  Since a lot of people have a hiatus from both work and school, it gives us a couple extra days to squeeze in a few more get-togethers.  

Before we know it, the date on the calendar reads Dec. 25 and we are loaded up with holiday parties for work, organizations, friends and family.  Just when we have cleaned the house for the millionth time, New Year's Eve is upon us and it is time to party again.  I may have just raised your blood pressure a little bit, but do not worry, you are not alone. We all make it through into the New Year, albeit a little exhausted.

The way I make it through is to not overindulge in alcohol. I have never been much of a drinker anyway, so I have found substitutes along the way. My favorite trick is sparkling water. Either alternate it with a glass of wine or mix half wine and half sparkling water and you will last much longer into the night.

I also like to make non-alcoholic cocktails, like this Chilled Mulled Cider that I first discovered in Redbook.



It is easy to throw together and is pretty low-maintenance if you are hosting a party. Plus, it will make the non-drinkers very happy to have an option other than pop or water.  All of the juices can be found down either the juice or the ethnic aisle at your local grocery store.

Chilled Mulled Cider (makes 3 ½ quarts)

6 cups apple cider
3 cups guava nectar
2 cups passion fruit nectar
2 whole star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole allspice berries
3 slices fresh ginger
2 slices tangerine
2 slices lemon
2 slices lime
1 bottle chilled sparkling apple cider

Pour all ingredients except the sparkling apple cider in a saucepan. Heat over medium until mixture comes to a simmer. Remove pan from heat, cover and steep until the mixture cools. Strain and discard spices and fruit slices and chill in the refrigerator.  

When ready to serve, pour mixture into a punchbowl or pitcher and top with chilled sparkling apple cider. Garnish with additional slices of orange, lemon and lime.

Cranberries are usually something we only see during the holidays. I am not talking about dried cranberries, I'm talking about fresh cranberries. The plump, red, and tart kind.

In my world, cranberries are passed at the Thanksgiving table and seen again at Christmas when we string popcorn and cranberries to make garland for the tree.



For Thanksgiving, I like to pile cranberry sauce on top of my sliced turkey and even sometimes mix it with mashed potatoes. My family is partial to canned cranberries and while I have tried to introduce whole cranberry relishes over the years, nothing has ever stuck.

This year I plan to switch things up again as I found this delicious looking recipe in the Los Angeles Times for a Ruby Port Cranberry Sauce.



While I did not have any port on hand, I did have a local dessert wine from Alexis Bailly Vineyards in Hastings called Ratafia. It is an orange-infused aperitif wine and a great substitute for port in this recipe.

This sauce is absolutely delicious. The sweetness from the sugar and tartness from the cranberries make an excellent pair. The Ratafia enhances the orange flavor and brings out the spiciness from cloves, allspice and cinnamon.

Will your family be eating cranberries from the can this Thanksgiving or will you be enjoying a housewarming bowl of cranberry sauce?

Ruby Ratafia Cranberry Sauce (Adapted from Los Angeles Times)
Makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups Alexis Bailly Ratafia (or port)
3/4 cup sugar
3 cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon
3 allspice berries (or a dash of allspice)
4 black peppercorns
2-inch-by- 1/2 -inch strip of orange peel
1 (12 ounce) package cranberries, washed

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the Port and sugar. Tie the cloves, cinnamon stick, allspice and black peppercorns in a small piece of cheesecloth. Add the spice bundle to the saucepan. Add the orange peel. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the wine is reduced to 1 cup, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the cranberries to the wine. Return to a simmer over medium-high heat then lower the heat and simmer until the cranberries pop, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool to warm then remove the spice bundle and orange peel. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bye, bye Halloween 2009! While our pumpkins are slowly losing their shape and turning into great filler for the compost pile, let's take a walk down memory lane and enjoy the preserved memories of our creative sides.

Starting off, we have some Minnesota Pride from Saturday's Gopher game.



Looks menacing!



Peace Coffee's racer, Jason Sinnwell, and his kids did this one.



Amy and her family from Eden Prairie did the non-traditional puking pumpkin.



Angela and Sean from Minneapolis made the night spooky!



The ever-smiling, Cally from Apple Valley showed her happiness in her carving.




Candice and Patrick of St. Paul shared two of their creations with us.




Look at the creativity on these ones from Kari, Matt, Hailey and Payton in Apple Valley. Love the creepy eyes!



Conner from Minneapolis shared his puppy pumpkin.



Colin from Apple Valley confirms that Mr. Potato Head has a cousin: Mr. Pumpkin Head!



It was a pumpkin party in Minneapolis for Jessi, Laura, Tim, Brad, Brian, Peter, Lindsay and Dan.



Matthew, Emily and Kira of Minnetrista showed off their carving talents.



Miranda of St. Paul painted her pumpkin to match her Halloween costume, a gruesome doll.

Thank you to all who sent in pictures or shared them via Facebook. Here they all are once again in slideshow format.

It's that time of year again! Normal people dress up in all kinds of costumes, consume copious amount of candy, and venture outdoors for some frightening fun.

It's also the time of year that is perfect for pumpkin picking. Grab the largest one, scoop out the seeds and get creative. Some like to carve their pumpkins, some like to paint, and some like to use them as decorations on the front porch.

Do not let those seeds go to waste! Sure, it is an icky job to sort through the pumpkin guts, but it is well worth it. Here is what you do to make a tasty snack:

1.) Separate the seeds from the pumpkin membrane, rinse, and pat dry.

2.) Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

3.) Toss seeds with a drizzle of olive oil and your favorite seasonings.
For every 2 cups of seeds, try this:
* 1 teaspoon of sea salt
* 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary (crushed)
* 1 tablespoon dried basil

4.) Spread in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

5.) Let cool and store in an airtight container.



I want your pumpkin pictures!

Do you carve, paint, or decorate pumpkins? If so, I want to see and share them!

Please e-mail the following:
* A picture of your pumpkin
* Name (first name is fine)
* City

The deadline is Sunday, Nov. 1. Photos will be reviewed and posted on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

There is something about fall in Minnesota that causes everyone to go a little apple-crazy.  Perhaps it is the realization of winter approaching so we try to preserve that last bit of summer.  Or maybe it is family tradition that causes us to flood the apple orchards to enjoy hay rides, apple picking, corn mazes and pumpkin tossing.  Whatever the reason, it is completely satisfying to bite into sweet and crunchy apples freshly picked from the tree.

A lot of our favorite apples are a result of hard work at the University of Minnesota.  Starting in the early 1900s, the U of M started collecting apple trees from around the country to see which ones could survive our cold winters.  One of the oldest survivors was the Haralson apple, which is fantastic for apple pies and other baked goods.  A few weeks ago, I picked 17 pounds of Haralsons and 14 pounds of Sweet Sixteens to use in various cooking adventures.



Not only did I make a traditional apple pie, but I tried my hand at an apple goat cheese tart, canned eight jars of applesauce, ate a bunch raw, and used a few for various salads.

Here is a fabulous salad to supplement a meal, serve at a potluck, or enjoy as a light meal.  It is great served either warm or cold.  This picture was taken after the salad sat in the fridge for a day and it was still delicious and crisp.



Broccoli Crunch Salad
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks 
(4 servings)

4 -5 cups tiny broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup almond butter (or use peanut butter)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
2 small crisp apples, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted or candied walnuts or almonds
1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots (2-3 shallots, splash of olive oil, pinch of salt)

Bring a small amount of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Add broccoli to a steamer basket and steam for 1 minute, just to soften slightly, but do not cook. Remove and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, drain again and set aside in a large bowl.

In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced red onions and cook 2-3 minutes or until softened.  Remove from heat and add to bowl with broccoli.

In the same skillet, add a splash of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and 1-2 thinly sliced shallots and cook over medium heat.  Stir every few minutes while allowing the shallots to brown.  When browned, about 10-15 minutes, remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.

To make the dressing, sprinkle salt over the clove of garlic.  Smash the clove and chop, then smash again with your knife to make a paste.  In a small bowl, whisk the garlic/salt paste with the almond butter, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add hot water and whisk until light and creamy.  Taste and adjust ingredients if needed.

In a large bowl gently toss the broccoli, apples, red onion, most of the shallots and nuts with a generous drizzle of the almond dressing. Turn out onto a platter and finish with the rest of the shallots. Serve and enjoy.

In a not-so-far away life, I was a technical recruiter. That means I hired all those techie types to develop cool programs we use on our computers. I was often assigned the really tough-to-find skills and as a result ended up talking to candidates from many different countries, especially India and Pakistan. Through these meetings and conversations, I got a great glimpse into their culture and customs, but what I remember most was the food. My new hires were eager to treat me to foods like idli (rice and lentil cakes), Aloo Gobi (a potato-cauliflower dish), and spiced tea (widely known as chai tea). The flavors and combinations blew me away. I had only known of Indian foods like Chicken Tikka Masala over rice with mango chutney on the side.

I have tried recreating the dishes at home, I have tried various Indian restaurants, but nothing quite matched the home cooking of my Indian friends until I visited OM.

OM is a new restaurant in downtown Minneapolis focusing on contemporary Indian cuisine. Raghavan Iyer, a culinary genius, designed the menu to reflect the many regions of India and the flavors that correspond with those regions.

This is not your standard Indian take-out joint. It is a classy sit down restaurant with a great vibe for dining, drinking, and socializing. The open layout, tall ceilings, and upbeat music made me feel like I was part of something hip and cool. It is difficult to pick a favorite part of the restaurant. I enjoyed the vibrant colors and fabrics in the lounge area and the gorgeous chandelier hanging over the reflection pool.



While both of those features awed me, my favorite part of the restaurant would have to be the food and drink. Did you know that you can get eight distinct flavors from a whole spice? Raghavan Iyer knows this and shows it in his menu using spices in different ways to create fantastic dishes. While most foodies would go after items like the Konkan Wild Salmon, Fenugreek Lamb Chops and Goan Pork Tenderloin, I wanted to go the vegetarian route and Raghavan made it easy for me.

I took his recommendation and started with Indian street food like Mumbai Crackers, which are little crunchy bursts of spicy and savory flavor and the salt dusted Patiala Cakes, creamy yet crispy potato cakes stuffed with mint, chile and red onion and served with a tamarind-date and mint-cilantro sauce.


Patiala Cakes

Although I hear the Vegetable Curry Casserole is amazing comfort food, I really wanted to try a few sides. I tested the Peanut Stuffed Eggplant, which has a Western Indian influence, Braised Okra, and the featured legume of the day, my favorite dish, split yellow lentils with coriander, tomato and smashed chile. I asked Raghavan for the recipe and he coyly said that I would have to check out his book, 660 Curries as the recipe is in there.


Peanut Stuffed Eggplant -- photo by Jenn Cress

I've also been lucky enough to try the Cardamom Thai Chile soup which only has one spice: cardamom, but the hint of heat from spicy chiles shines through as well. The Green Chile & Potato Naan are delicious and as a bread addict, it is a nice change from plain naan.

I mentioned that OM has a hip and cool vibe which would not be complete without cocktails. The martini menu covers all that I'd desire in a cocktail. Ever had a Thai Chile martini? The Agni is quite spicy and bound to warm you up on a cold day. I dare you to try it. While my favorite was the Kashmir Margarita, I think it was surpassed by The Amber: Bombay Sapphire, ripe Alphonso mangos and lemon juice floating over crème de cassis. Beautiful and delicious, no wonder City Pages named it the Drink of the Week.


Amber Martini

While I'm not normally a big dessert person and especially not a chocolate person, the banana-ginger crème was calling my name in the Chocolate Nirvana dessert. Think molten lava cake spiced up with cayenne pepper and served with vanilla ice cream. Paired with a Himalayan martini, this was pure decadence and a great way to end an amazing meal.



If you are an adventurous foodie or looking for a great night out, OM is the place for you. The atmosphere, the food, and the drink were outstanding and my next visit is not too far away.

OM
401 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 338-1510

October is Fair Trade Month and while I usually say, "Buy Local", there are some things we just cannot grow locally due to our climate.  As much as I would like to have Minnesota avocados, it just is not going to happen (and yes, I have tried the avocado pit in a bowl of water thing).  So, what is a person to do when you want to eat bananas, drink coffee, or devour a bar of chocolate?  Buy Fair Trade, of course!

What does Fair Trade mean anyway?  Products with the fair trade label mean that workers have been paid a living wage and treated humanely.  Simply put, workers are not being exploited.

One of the most popular fair trade products is coffee.  Recently, I was invited to tour Peace Coffee's facilities and not only discovered ethical coffee, but also the best coffee I have ever had.



The neat thing about Peace Coffee is that it is delivered by bike.  From their South Minneapolis offices to your local co-op, it is all pedal power.  Their motto is, "Roast beans, not fossil fuel" and the employees live and breathe that motto.  Employees either bike or walk to work each day and the proof was clear from the bikes out front.  These folks even trek through snow and cold weather all in the name of coffee.  Check out more pics from their Web site.



If your co-op is in the suburbs (like mine is), your Peace Coffee is delivered by a biodiesel van.



I was able to see the beans before roasting and never knew they were green!



The beans were then carefully roasted, cooled, and sorted by the big roaster:



During my visit, I was able to try the brand new Snowshoe Brew.  I never drink coffee black and often add hot chocolate or some other kind of sugar/milk combo, but I felt I should try the real thing.  I was blown away by how drinkable it was.  The flavors were amazing and best of all, no bad coffee aftertaste.     I will take my coffee black from now on:





Grab a bag of Peace Coffee next time you visit the co-op or order directly from their Web site and let me know what you think.

In honor of Fair Trade Month, here are links to a few wonderful Fair Trade products that I have been able to find in the Twin Cities:

Alter Eco - try the amazing coral red jasmine rice and black quinoa
Etica - both white and red wines
Numi - large variety of teas and gorgeous flowering teas
Equal Exchange - coffee, chocolate, and teas
Oke - Fair Trade bananas

Enjoy!  

Farmers markets are a preserver's dream right now.  The market aisles are lined with bushels of tomatoes, boxes of peppers and crates of cucumbers all waiting to be turned into pickles, roasted red peppers and a variety of tomato products. Canning, freezing, and drying are all fantastic ways to preserve the fresh tastes and colors of summer well into the winter months.

This year, I decided to try my hand at preserving more foods for winter, so I went on the hunt for tomatoes. At first, I visited Mill City, but mostly found heirlooms which are better for sandwiches and salads. No big bushels of tomatoes there. So, I drove down to Lakeville's market, which is a part of the St. Paul Farmers Market, and scored big. Multiple farmers were selling bushels of roma tomatoes, which are great for preserving. I purchased 1/2 bushel, about 25 pounds, for $10.  Not bad, huh?

I have not done much canning, but after successfully making strawberry jam earlier this year, I thought I would try canning salsa, but needed some help.  I went to the library and borrowed the ultimate source in canning, Ball Complete Book of Canning and Preserving to make sure I got each step right as I would like to avoid getting sick from botulism through improper canning.



I went into this project being wide-eyed and energetic, but came out of it tired and exhausted.  It is hard work making salsa!  When all was said and done, I had eight pint jars of salsa to enjoy over the next year.



But, I did not stop there.  I had plenty more tomatoes to process and my next project was to make sun-dried tomatoes.  If you have extra tomatoes, I urge you to try this either in an oven as directed below or in a food dehydrator.

1.)  Preheat oven to 160° (or 200° if it will not go as low as 160°)
2.)  Quarter roma tomatoes and place on a rimmed cookie sheet
3.)  Sprinkle with salt and various herbs (I used thyme and basil)
4.)  Place in oven for 10-12 hours without disturbing



When finished, the tomatoes should be dry and shriveled without excess liquid within.  They might be done in stages, so remove tomatoes when dried.  Store in a plastic bag or jar in your cupboard, refrigerator, or freezer, depending on how fast they will be used up.  Add to sandwiches, dips, and dinners.

Another easy way to preserve tomatoes is to slow roast in the oven.  This takes a little more work in the preparation, but it's no fuss after that.



1.)  Peel 10-15 roma tomatoes (place in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge in ice cold water and peel the skins when cooled).
2.)  Cut tomatoes in half widthwise through the equator of the tomato and push out the seeds.
3.)  Place tomato halves on a rimmed cookie sheet and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil.
4.)  Add 10 cloves of smashed garlic and sprigs of herbs (I used thyme)
5.)  Roast at 200° for 12 hours or until tomatoes have lost their water and are dense.
6.)  Let cool and place in a freezer bag or jar and freeze for later use.



These kind of tomatoes are great to toss with pasta, top a pizza, or puree into a sauce.

I still have tomatoes left over, so I will have to think of a few more things to make, but in the meantime, I need to rest!  All that preserving is tiring, but I know come February, I will thank myself for putting in the extra effort. 

While growing up, cauliflower was always served raw alongside a creamy veggie dip concoction.  No one ever seemed to cook it, which was fine because my culinary mind had not developed and I was not yet thinking outside the box.

When the low-carb diet came around, cauliflower seemed to be the lone vegetable getting all the attention amongst all the butter and meat.  Most chain restaurants were serving mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes.  My girlfriends were ordering it along with their burgers (bunless, of course) and steaks.  I cannot tell you how many times I was told that I just had to try the mashed cauliflower.  I was stubborn and would not buy into any part of the low-carb revolution.  I was happy with cauliflower the way it had always been: raw.

Years have passed and I admit, I have since tried mashed cauliflower and loved it, especially with blue cheese.  However, I have since discovered roasted cauliflower, which is so easy to make and does not call for cream, butter, or cheese like mashed cauliflower does.  Have you tried it?  This stuff is amazing and it is completely in season right now.

I cannot just settle for the simple white cauliflower when the local farms produce so many options.  I need to get fun heads of cauliflower like purple, green and orange.  All three varieties taste similar to white cauliflower, but the boldness of color makes life a little more exciting.  Simply cut the florets off a head or two of cauliflower.  Toss florets with a drizzle of olive oil and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender.  Throw in a bunch of herbs or specialty salts and you will have a beautiful and healthy side dish.  Just three florets of cauliflower provide half the daily requirement of Vitamin C.

While shopping at the farmers market for cauliflower, I could not help but notice the abundance of leeks, a part of the onion and garlic family.  It looks like this:

 

In the past, I would turn to an old standby, Leek Rings, or Leek and Butternut Squash Fettuccini, but I wanted something a bit lighter, so instead, I made a delicious Cauliflower and Leek Soup adapted from Food and Wine magazine using leeks and cauliflower as a base and roasted cauliflower, crunchy pecans and toasted croutons as toppings.



Cauliflower Soup with Pecans and Rye Croutons
(4 servings)

2 tablespoons light olive oil
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 2-inch pieces and halved lengthwise (rinse leeks well to remove dirt inside)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
One 2-pound head of cauliflower, cored and cut into 2-inch florets, 1/2 cup of tiny florets reserved for garnish
1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 thyme sprigs
1 slice whole grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup pecan pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few dashes of hot sauce, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large, heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the large cauliflower florets and the apple and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

Spread the diced bread, pecan pieces and tiny cauliflower florets on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper and bake, stirring once, for about 10 minutes, or until the bread croutons are crisp.

Discard the thyme sprigs from the soup. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Ladle into bowls, scatter the croutons, pecans and cauliflower on top and serve.

Cooking inspiration can come from many places and is different for everyone. My inspiration definitely falls in the "many places" category. Sometimes it is a single ingredient that gets me cooking and other times it is a recipe that needs a little tweaking. I troll farmers markets, grocery stores, and cookbooks for ideas, but lately, my number one source for inspiration is the Internet.

I read numerous food related blogs and Web sites in an effort to stay up to date on what is happening in other kitchens. Sometimes I just look at the pictures, sometimes I read the stories, but every time I am looking for something to grab me and get my brain moving. That is what happened when I was reading a story about honey on Heavy Table.

Honey is a hot topic in the food industry due to the dwindling bee population and without bees, we lack natural pollination. I thought I would just be reading another bee article, but was pleasantly surprised when I came across a tasty Honey Lavender Shrimp recipe from Wisconsin Natural Acres at the end of the article. It did not take me long to bookmark and make this dish, which I served alongside roasted orange cauliflower tossed with blue cheese and corn on the cob.  I reduced the olive oil by half, reduced the salt, and used a local honey from Wolf Honey Farm, Inc.



Honey Lavender Shrimp
Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. raw shrimp
1 tbsp garlic, minced, fresh
1 tsp salt
white pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup Wisconsin Natural Acres honey
1-½ tbsp. lavender flowers, dried

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and shrimp and cook halfway through (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Add salt, pepper, white wine and lavender and turn heat to high.  When mixture boils, remove shrimp with a slotted spoon, leaving pan juices.

Add honey to pan juices and reduce mixture by three-fourths over medium heat until it will coat the back of a metal spoon.

Toss shrimp and serve as an appetizer or entrée.