All Blog Posts (412)

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My most memorable meals of 2011 were mostly at old favorites - like Saffron, in the warehouse district. The cuisine is as good as ever, but their big news this year is that they stripped off the tablecloths and have repositioned the restaurant as a more casual not-just-for-special-occasions place. We did go…

If you think of my brain as a refrigerator, then all the food stories that I haven't had time to write about are like left-overs, sitting there in takeout containers, and not getting any fresher. So, it's time to clear out the fridge...…

I get requests for this recipe all the time.  No one who's tried this hasn't said this is the best tofu they've ever had.  I mean it.

For several years I've been preparing tofu such that my kids eat it like potato chips or cookies (not that we ever have those around...).  I can barely get any of it to the fridge for future use.  It's a recipe I reverse-engineered from something that an old friend had produced commercially for the food co-ops in Madison, Wisconsin thirty years…

The first thing you might say to yourself when you walk into Rye, the new Jewish deli and bar in the former Auriga's / Becky's Cafeteria location is, "What!  No pastrami! A shonde! (disgrace, scandal, shame)." But this is not just any Jewish deli - it is (though they don't advertise this fact) a Montreal-inspired…

Good news for lovers of authentic Thai cuisine: you no longer have to cross the Mississippi to find authentic Thai cuisine. The owners of Bangkok Thai Deli, 315 University Ave. W., St. Paul,  which has become a pilgrimage site for lovers of authentic Thai Cuisine, have opened a new outpost, Krungthep Thai, at 2523…

First, some exciting news for lovers of authentic Thai food who live in Minneapolis: you no longer have to trek all the way over to the far end of University Ave. to enjoy really authentic Thai cuisine. The owners of Bangkok Thai Deli, the which serves the best and most authentic Thai cuisine in the Twin…

Lots of great food and dining items up for bidding at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy online auction site - including a Chinese banquet with me! https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=140101530. Auction ends 9 p.m. Monday!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confrérie_de_la_Chaîne_des_Rôtisseurs#History

La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs  is an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950. The Chaîne is based on the traditions and practices of the old French royal guild of goose roasters, whose authority gradually expanded to the roasting of all poultry, meat and game. It is dedicated to fine cuisine and promoting and developing the…

The hottest new trend on the Twin Cities dining scene is the gastropub, which combines a big selection of craft beers on tap with a menu that's several notches above traditional bar fare. In the past year or so, we've seen the arrival of Pat's Tap at 36th and Nicollet, Republic on the West Bank, the the…

This event should be a lot of fun - and it benefits a cause that I am particularly fond of: 

Where: at the Chin Dian Cafe, 1500 E. Hennepin, Minneapolis

When: Saturday, November 12

Time: Asian market tour (optional) 11-12 a.m., class 1-3 p.m.

Cost:…

I have been biking a lot lately, and taking the opportunity to explore some of the hidden gastronomic gems along my favorite bike trails.  I bike to work regularly along the Minneapolis Greenway, which runs east to west from Lake Calhoun to the Mississippi River Road, which means I ride past the Midtown Bike…

Reposted from the Slow FoodMN.org website: 

Writers’ Night

Sunday, October 23, 4 – 7 p.m.

McNally Smith College of Music, 19 Exchange Street East, St. Paul

The evening will include readings, videos, book signing, foods based on themes in the books and a potluck. Please bring a dish to share. $10 members, $15 non members.

We will hear from:

• Catherine Friend, who sees farming as a sometimes-comic adventure in her latest book, Sheepish. …

Well, cuisine isn't exactly the right word, but the new Amsterdam Bar in downtown St. Paul does have a nice selection of Dutch broodjes (sandwiches) and appetizers, as well as Dutch and Belgian beers. It also offers its own version of one culinary specialty that the coffeehouses of Amsterdam are famous for:…

Chefs from eight top French (or semi-French) restaurants, including Vincent A Restaurant, the Grand Cafe, and Haute Dish will offer samplings of their cuisine, and wines from eight top wine regions of France will be poured at the 1st Fete du Vin, to be held on November 17 (the traditional release date for Beaujolais Nouveau) at the Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Other highlights will include music by Davina and the Vagabonds and Robert Everest, silent auctions, and raffles for plane tickets to…

Kinsen Noodles & Bar is a strikingly attractive new cafe in the same block as the Lagoon Theater - which should make it a dining magnet for Uptown moviegoers. But I've been to Kinsen twice in the past week, and on both occasions, the dining room has been nearly empty.…

My neighbor Nedon is from Thailand, a relatively recent transplant to Minnesota, and she has the most bountiful garden I've seen within city limits. It's really incredible. Especially when compared to my garden. Case in point:

1. My bell pepper plants last year produced about 2 peppers each, barely covering the cost of the seedling. Her plants have…

The other day, Eric said, "Everyone should go to the apple orchard at least once a year. THAT'S how you carpe´ the season."

For the past few years, we've gone to the apple orchard around this time of year with our friends the Johannsens and their four kids. Here's how it typically goes....We get there, and their boys run off the stored energy of a 45 minute car…

For a first recipe/blog post for this father/daughter food blog it would make sense to write about something that was somewhat of a collaboration - which this was.  This year was the second that we'd been growing copious amounts of kale in our little kitchen…