Making Hotdish, Building Community.

It's time for the 7th Annual Hotdish Revolution, a friendly hotdish competition.

If you live in Minnesota - it's worth the trip to Northeast (Minneapolis) for this event. If you live elsewhere, get inspired!

Saturday, April 30th, 2011.

Categories: Spicy, Tater Tot, Vegetarian, Quintessential, I Made It Myself (Kids 15 and Under) & Jello!


Celebrity judges, adult beverages, Jolly Groggers music, and hotdish - what else do you need?

Fundraiser for the Holland Neighborhood Association.

This Week's Wish List

A lack of Time and Talent might be keeping me from baking at the moment - but it doesn't keep me from thinking about what I WISH to bake~! Here are some recent recipes that have made it to my wish list for the week. I hope you have the time to build up your talent!

1. Orange Strawberry Cream Cake from Savour Fare - this just looks like SUMMER!

2. Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies from the Brown Eyed Baker

3. Chocolate Coconut Cookie Bars from Chef Catherine

4. a Sweet and Salty Chocolate Cake by Baked NYC from Amy Atlas

5. Home Cured Corn Beef from Wasabimon - curing at home would be fun and perfect for St. Patty's Day - plus, Corned Beef Hash is H's FAVORITE breakfast!

That's enough to keep me dreaming about baking!

Wish List

Reading about our great Constitution is sending my mind into the kitchen. I keep seeing great recipes that get saved in my "favorites" tab under "recipes" - hopefully to bake soon!

1. Joy the Baker - top 10 quick breads. These sound and look great! A nice variety to change things up.

2. Amy Atlas gives you two great Valentine's Recipes that involve lots of chocolate. TASTY!

3. The Flavor Vault's Oatmeal Craisin Cookie - with white chocolate and pecans.

4. Amateur Gourmet's Banana Pudding

5. Baking Obsession: Double Chocolate and Cherry Scones with Creme Fraiche and Cherry Preserves

What's for Dinner? Thai Chicken Burgers!

It's january. I want healthy. I also want SPICY to deal with the cold weather. I want COLOR to combat the white [turning dingy] Minnesota landscape. I want EASY to deal with a law school schedule.

Chicken Burgers - and damn good ones at that. Hits all the elements that are required for this particular dinner - with the added bonus that I got to use some fun kitchen gadgets [though not required!]Check out the recipe here and see how I fared.

Stocking Stuffer Round-Up

Great gifts don't have to be expensive - a good gift is something that is useful and wanted by the recipient (not just the gift giver!) Do they have everything they need? Get a consumable - like chocolate or alcohol.

Here are some fun ideas for the stocking, gift exchange, or even gift wrap bling!

H's Deep Dish Pizza for the Big Night!

Dreamy Popcorn - as simple as it gets

After an early dinner, I sometimes get the urge to just keep on eating. As I love food - it's not too surprising. However, I also like to fit into my clothes and not blow up like a whale - so I try to keep it under control. So - I've been resorting to popcorn at night. It's the PERFECT evening snack, easy to share or not and extremely easy to snazz it up with some "GOURMET" style flavors. *** Perfect for after holiday meals when the family is just hanging out - and you don't want leftovers!***

First: go for the gold and make the popcorn on the stovetop. Microwaves don't cut it here. It's easy and cheap - and makes your kitchen smell like a high school basketball game (in a good way.)

Old-School Popcorn

Natural Sweetener: Maple Syrup in my coffee!

    Sometimes - I just can't sit in the library and I don't want to hold my condo hostage from my husband - so I go to a coffee shop to study.  

    Using maple syrup in my skim 3 shot latte was purely accidental - really more laziness in the guise of creative ingeniuity. Here I am with my highlighters, books and laptop spread out across the tiny little coffee-shop table. With everything in place - I didn't feel like walking over to the sugar and cream stand to make my strong latte a little more sweet. So - I used the maple syrup that came with my oatmeal.

First - maple syrup in oatmeal. This is really good! The taste is a bit more refined than just brown sugar. I think the liquid form also helped the taste spread through the oatmeal more easily and throroughly than sugar crystals.

Second - maple syrup in a latte is really fantastic. I learned (ck the food facts) that this natural sweetener is only 60% as sweet as white sugar. It also has added nutrients of Magnesium and Zinc. This is a much better alternative to unnatural *fake* sugar in my book! Of course, I'm not diabetic - so I don't have to worry about blood sugar issues.

I'm quite certain that this accidental and lazy discovery of mine has been perfected by many out in the world of foodie internets. So - what kind of suggestions do you have? Below are some more sites that I found interesting regarding the use of natural sweeteners - but I love hearing real stories!

LivRite alternative sweeteners in the home

US News article on natural sweeteners

Recipes from the Minnesota Maple Syrup Producers website

9/11: Nat'l Day of Service for foodies

Today is officially the National Day of Service and Remembrance as indicated in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

Whatever your politics, Sept 11 should be an important day for all of us. I remember clearly where I was when I first learned of what was happening. Then watching events UNFOLD in front of me while I was glued to the news. It was such a strange day. Are we safe? How many people? Can we mourne, should we be fearful, what can I do?

 

Well, today - there is something that we should all do. Today is National Service Day - and many are joining activities over the weekend to help do their part.

Check out Serve.gov - where you can search for volunteer opportunities by location or keyword. Below are some fun activities for sharing your love and talent. What ideas do you have?

Kids in the Kitchen - make a meal for kids staying at the crisis nursery

Food Shelf grocery delivery

Food Shelter meal server

Food Digest Stories and Information- write synopsis of existing FOOD NEWS and information!

Find more in your neighborhood at serve.gov

Read the President and First Lady’s Call to Service for September 11

Bakery Find: Salty Tart in Minneapolis

Salty Tart is located in the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. Again - this has not been endorsed or solicitated by anyone other than my love and quest for the best baked goods.
The best question when standing in front of the bakery case - is how much can I possibly hold down - this all looks so great!

I made a morning out of this quest. First stop - a run around one of the many lakes in Minneapolis. I knew that hitting a bakery would take some prework - and so I picked a nearby lake that I had never run around before. Lake Nokomis was full of walkers, bikers and even some on rollerblades. I ran one loop - then threw on the skates for another lap for good measure. GOOD THING - because I was not in any position to only choose one treat from this bakery.

From the case - I chose a nectarine galette (made with half of an organic nectarine and pounds of butter). I also purchased a coconut macaroon and brioch filled with custard. A coffee and water - and I was ready for the challenge. The brioch and macaroon were meant for later - which meant I had them for lunch. The nectarine delight was my special treat. The woman behind the counter said that it tasted just like summer - and she was right.

This bakery was just opened in 2008 - but has already gotten several good reviews. I loved that everything was housemade - and very professionally done. The options were at once unique and traditional. My only wish would be for the Salty Tart to open a location in my neighborhood (that's St. Anthony Main in NE MPLS - Hennepin and University Aves in case anyone from the ST is reading this!!).

Similar post: A Baker's Wife in Minneapolis

Ultimate White Pizza: beets, walnuts, mushrooms and goat cheese

This pizza - admittedly - had a lot going on. I love beets - and wanted to find a way to incorporate them into a vegetarian dinner for dear H. and myself.

So - I came up with a pizza idea. After picking up a ready-made whole wheat pizza crust from Trader Joe's and some goat cheese - I had everything else in the cabinet and was ready to go.

Ultimate White Pizza
1 TJ raw pizza dough
1 red onion
1 pkg mushrooms (used shiitake)
3 garlic cloves
2 handfuls of toasted walnuts
1 small package goat cheese
1-2 cups mozzerella (to taste)
olive oil
salt and pepper (i used sea salt)

1. Let dough rest at room temp for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 F with pizza stone in the oven.
2. Scrub and peel beets. Cut into small half-moon slices. Cut onion in small half-moon slices.
3. Drizzle onions, beets, mushrooms and garlic with olive oil. Spread onto baking sheet lined with tin foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes until soft - stirring about halfway through cooking.
5. Increase oven temp to 500 and move pizza stone to middle of oven.
4. Build Pizza: Stretch dough to desired thickness and size. Drizzle a good amount of olive oil over crust (this is the only sauce). Layer with toppings. Sprinkle with salt - including the edge of the crust.
5. Bake pizza for 12-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the crust and toppings. Pizza is done when the middle of the pie is melted and hot.

Note: I layered the roasted veggies and walnuts under the cheese. Next time, I would put the cheese on the bottom and the veggies on top for a prettier presentation.

That's the beauty of pizza - you can get a little creative and it will probably work out well. This was really tasty and was a fun way to get in a few servings of vegetables and whole grains. This also held up well for a leftover lunch the next day.

Bakery Find: A Baker's Wife in Minneapolis

A Baker's Wife Pastry Shop
4200 28th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 729-6898

note: this is not endorsed by the bakery and I was not paid or enticed in any way to post this.

As I was scanning the choices for my breakfast this morning - I saw that there was only one cherry pastry left on the tray. I kept looking - there was a lot to see - then went back to the cherry and it was gone! There were no other customers - so I thought maybe it was pulled for a good reason (it better be a good reason because I LOVE cherry.)

The best reason of all - to refill the tray with fresh from the oven pastries. Wow. This was soft and buttery - not at all dry. The cherries were sour with just a bit of topping and frosting keeping the cherries the centerpiece.

I sat at a little table outside - inside were some chairs and tables, but not much room to hang out. This was a true bakery with an espresso machine - but not the 'coffee shop' environment that would encourage loitering. I loved how the interior was covered with funny signs, mismatched tables and chairs, and had the baked goods front and center. I think this is the sign of an owner with proper priorities - BAKING. I don't think the owner focused much on branding - but maybe that was the point?

Try it - you'll like it.

Wanted: Recipe for Ebleskiver (round pancakes)

I was the lucky recipient of this old pan - complete with the original recipe booklet. I have to admit, anytime I see a recipe that calls for a "yellow cake mix" - I think, can't I make it better than some Pillsbury factory months/years ago?

So - i'm in search of the perfect Ebleskiver recipe. I spotted a show on FoodTv last night that showed these little round pancakes filled with bananas. Tasty. However - what is the best batter recipe? The filling seems like the easy part!

Do you have a recipe to share? Feel free to email - twittter - comment - whatever it takes. I want some good recipes to try!!

Fav things: OMG - the Obama's have my china!

Michelle with teacup. You have to see this!

Wow. So - my husband reads the Daily Beast. A cool blog about news and politics. Michelle Obama, photo by Annie Leibovitz - with MY CHINA!!! I can't believe it. I feel famous or something.

Now - off to watch the TV special all about life in the white house.

I'm so hopeful - and not just for the china.

Fav Things: Home ground burgers at the cabin

A few of my favorite things:
* Summertime
* Quiet cabins on the lake 
* Dinner with friends
* Meat Grinder for the kitchen aid to make our own ground beef!

This meat grinder was a thank-you gift from some friends. H has been putting it to great use by grinding his own chuck to make hamburgers.
By grinding the meat yourself - the meat doesn't have time to settle and air pockets still remain to hold lots of juice. If you want to kick it up a notch - just add in frozen butter cubes, salt, and pepper. It's really amazing. These are the best hamburgers I have ever had.

Into to the grinder: chuck steak cut into rough cubes and butter cubes that have been frozen
After meat is ground: add 1 egg yolk per pound of meat, salt and pepper. Gently pat into disc shapes with indent in the middle. Grill as normal.

For this dinner, we also grilled up zuchini and corn. Pair that with a potato salad - and you have TOO MUCH to enjoy. Perfect for a weekend at a friend's cabin.

Obama's Fav Things: Honest Tea

OK - so this had not hit my 'favorite' list yet but I heard on CNBC this morning that this is Obama's favorite tea. Apparently, Black Forest Berry is the flavor of choice. As I listened to the CEO of Honest Tea talk about his rapidly growing business (up 60% in the past year) he downplayed the partnership with Coca Cola and up'd the buzz factor from the Obama household. Interesting... I guess if I were a small business owner, I'd pick Obama over Coke to identify with too!

Cool things about Honest Tea:
* it's organic
* there are Fair Trade certified flavors
* recently changed to lighter plastic bottles and will use 1M lbs less plastic this year!
* Consumer Reports named Lori's Lemon flavor as best bottled tea
* they have a mission statement: Honest Tea creates and promotes delicious, truly healthy, organic beverages. We strive to grow with the same honesty we use to craft our products, with sustainability and great taste for all.

I'd vote for it.

Fav Things: Junior League Cookbooks

I just got home from the year end meeting for the Junior League of Minneapolis. The baton was passed from current President - to next year's president, awards were given, tears were shed. It was really quite nice - and the food was GREAT!

It reminded me of meeting one Junior League sustainer member, Pam, who collects cookbooks by Junior League groups from around the country. She has books from Kansas City, New York, Florida, and of course Minnesota. The Minnesota book is her stated favorite (although i feel like she might be biased...)

Anyway you slice it - these books are great. I've even invested in a few books from out of state. I would love to collect more of these. Do you have any favorites?

In my collection:

Minneapolis/St Paul: Always Superb

Kansas City?: Beyond Parsley and Above and Beyond Parsley

Boca Raton: Savor the Moment

jlminneapolis.org

Fav Things: New Words

coruscate \KOR-uh-skayt\, verb:
1. To give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light; to sparkle. 2. To exhibit brilliant, sparkling technique or style.

Word of the Day for Thursday, May 7, 2009
http://dictionary.reference.com/

** can you guess why I like this word so much? Now I have to figure out a way to work it into my vocab today...

Coruscate comes from Latin coruscatus, past participle of coruscare, "to move quickly, to tremble, to flutter, to twinkle or flash." The noun form is coruscation. Also from coruscare is the adjective coruscant, "glittering in flashes; flashing."

They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Rio Grande under brilliant, coruscating stars.-- Bill Roorbach, "Big Bend", The Atlantic, March 2001

Beneath you lie two miles of ocean -- a bottomlessness, for all practical purposes, an infinity of blue. . . . A thousand coruscating shafts of sunlight probe it, illuminating nothing.-- Kenneth Brower, "The Destruction of Dolphins", The Atlantic, July 1989

What coruscating flights of language in his prose, what waterfalls of self-displaying energy!-- Joyce Carol Oates, review of A Theft, by Saul Bellow, New York Times, March 5, 1989

Whether we know or like it or not, those of us who turn our hands to this task are scribbling in a line of succession which, however uncertainly and intermittently, reaches back to the young Macaulay, who first made his public reputation as a coruscating writer in the 1820s.-- David Cannadine, "On Reviewing and Being Reviewed", History Today, March 1, 1999

Fav Things: Morning Coffee

This sounds a bit like a shameless plug - but please know that the only benefit I am getting from this brand of coffee is my daily dose of Vitamin C (caffeine) - that I pay for. I like to use my dollars deliberately - this is a great way to make a difference without making a dent.

A good cup of coffee for a good cause - what could be better? I found had heard about this non-profit coffee company located here in Minneapolis and just saw it on the shelf at my Super Target last weekend. I picked up the French Roast beans - and they are really good. Plus - it's cheaper than picking up Starbucks or other 'name-brand' coffee.

Don't live in Minneapolis? Good news - you can order this stuff.

Lifted from the website:

http://www.citykidjava.com/about.php

Give a boost
When you buy CityKid Java, you’re putting your money where your values are. Every dollar we earn goes to proven programs that support disadvantaged children in the Twin Cities and Central America. In Minneapolis, CityKid Java fuels mentoring and educational programs, athletic teams, camps and youth leadership experiences. Each year more than 1,500 inner-city kids get connected to the role models, mentors and life skills they need to succeed – thanks to CityKid Java drinkers like you.

Get a Boost
With CityKid Java, you don’t have to compromise your coffee standards to satisfy your conscience. CityKid Java uses only premium beans – 100% Arabica – from the finest high-mountain regions in the world. We pay more than fair trade prices for all of our green beans. Learn more about our True Trade principles. Whenever possible, we purchase beans that are grown in the shade and processed without chemicals. Our beans are hand-crafted in small batches and slow-roasted locally. They are impeccably fresh-roasted and delivered within days of your order. All of our coffees are Kosher certified. And the result? A virtuous brew that has won 6 out of 6 taste tests against the big-name coffee-chain competitors.

Fav things: Trader Joe's Pizza Dough

I live above a grocery store. A very nice grocery store - some might say "gourmet". The motto: 'Value is more than just price.' does that tell you something? I love it, don't get me wrong. I know most of the employees and they know me by name. Sometimes, they even give me good deals at the meat or cheese counters.

It is not a Trader Joe's. TJ's is a bit of a drive from my 'hood. So, when we were visiting and introduced to brand new baby Abby (6 weeks old!) we had to stop at the TJ's just a few blocks away.

Our focus: Easy yet interesting Weeknight Meals

Our Favorite: Pizza Dough

This dough is near the cheese and fresh pasta. It's in a bag - and is wet. Just warm it up at room temp for about 20 minutes and you can stretch it, top it, and bake it. It was faster and MUCH TASTIER than a frozen pizza. Not as tasty as H's homemade dough - but perfect for a weeknight.

H was in charge of making dinner - and made the following white pizza.


H's White Pizza
* Preheat Oven to 500
* Take dough out of fridge (20 minutes)
* Sauted Spinach
- we had a big bag that we needed to work through. Threw some olive oil and garlic in a big dutch oven and then threw in the spinach. It was done before the dough was done 'warming up'.
* Sprinkle counter with white corn meal (nice crunch on the crust and prevents sticking)
* Stretch dough into desired shape/size
* Top Dough:
- Olive Oil
- Spinach
- Artichokes (also from TJ's!)
- Mozzerella
- Red Pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan
* Bake until done. This will vary depending on the thickness of your dough. Our pizza took about 8 minutes.

Any other favorite TJ items or fast weeknight ideas? Please share!

Happy Earth Day!