The Rake Magazine

Category: Food and Drink

  • Grazefest

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    A Day For Eaters? … count me in.

    This weekend the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota is hosting Grazefest: an event aimed at promoting the health benefits, positive environmental impact, and economic possibilities of pasture-raised foods. And hey, there’s a band!

    The first half of Saturday is devoted to hot discussion among professional Graziers, but the second half has been declared “A Day for Eaters”. Head out to Cedar Summit Farm in New Prague from 1pm – 6pm and sample tasty foods (Philip Dorwart doing demos!), listen to the musical stylings of the Roe Family Singers and be converted by the prophets of grass-fed.

  • Lucky Day

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    It’s a luck day, chums, if you know where to look.

    I found a very agreeable Cobb Salad. I think that’s very lucky as some Cobb’s can go sadly wrong: not enough bleu cheese, or old nasty bacon, or odd additions like carrots. The Cobb at French Meadow Bakery is lovely. The bleu cheese is plentiful and fresh, the turkey is nicely roasted and real (not like something pulled off a Lunchables tray), and the bacon is applewood smoked and crispy. It’s all dressed in a soft avocado-lime dressing that sets the mood. Yessir.

    You’ll discover in the neighborhood, as luck would have it, that Common Roots Cafe is now open. Taking over the space that was Soba’s, Common Roots is all freshness and brightness brimming with ethics and a good sense. I was sadly full from my Cobb to enjoy one of the bagels or neat sandwiches, but luckily enough, there was a small, dark chocolate truffle with my name on it. Oh and a slice of walnut banana bread.

    On the way back from the market this morning, I spied a billboard for Miller’s new Chill beer. Having had something called a Chelada on my last night in Denver, I was intrigued. The chelada I had was a beer poured over ice with a lime and salted rim (yes, extra salt please), but others tell me there might be Tobasco added or even Clamato juice to make your beer a chelada. Summer beer drinkers, you may be lucky indeed.

  • Santa Dog

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    This is my last dispatch from Denver: #1 Thing to Do in Denver When You’re Hungry.

    Find Biker Jim’s hot dog cart on the 16th Street Mall, he’s out in front of Palomino.

    Order a Reindeer Dog.

    He’ll happily give you a bun with a split alaskan caribou sausage. In the split he’ll caulk a thick stream of cream cheese from a gun and crown it with some fried onions. (Yes, you will forever now put cream cheese on a split sausage). Add the jalapenos and hot mustard to your own liking. It’s not gamey at all, it’s spicy and rich. Maybe try the elk cheddar brat or the wild boar brat with chopped apricots and cranberries. Take a moment to breathe in the good Rocky Mountain air in blessed thanks.

    Then go to a Rockies game and watch them POUND the Mets while you suck down some Easy Street Wheat.

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  • American as a Squishee

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    Taken in a real live Kwik-E-Mart in Denver!

    Is there anything more American than a Squishee?

    My daughter just got back from Spain where she and her host family went to the Grandmother’s house and watched The Simpsons (in Spanish, natch) and then rushed home to watch the same episode again.

    Whether or not they hate us, they love Homer.

    Now we can take a bite out of the quintessential donut of Americana. With the Simpson’s movie looming, the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores has agreed to remake themselves as a collection of Kwik-E-Marts.

    Yes, you can buy a real, honest-to-goodness Squishee!
    Yes, you can start your morning with a heaping bowl of Krusty-O’s!
    Yes, you can guzzle a sixer of Buzz Cola and burp like Bart!
    Why not indulge in a sprinkeliscious pink donut, just like the one Homer eats every day?

    Sadly, there are no Kwik-E-Marts in our local area but if you are looking for a reason for a holiday road trip (and donuts are an appropriate reason) Chicago could be calling.

  • Brewhaha

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    Last night I had a particularly tasty brew. I’m in Denver and while dining at the Denver Chophouse and Brewery, I happened upon their Wild Turkey Barrel Conditioned Stout. After home-brewing the stout, they “cure” it for a time in used bourbon barrels. Being a bourbon girl, and a stout girl, it was like winning the liquid lottery. The beer was smooth and rich with serious vanilla creaminess. The oak barrels impart a warm toastiness that mellowed, but not overwhelmed, the strong beer.

    Speaking of Colorado brewing, did you know that Fat Tire is finally locally available? The New Belgium Brewing Company has added MN to it’s territory and I couldn’t be happier. Any beer drinkers who have spent time out West will already know about Fat Tire Amber’s malty/hoppy Belgian kick. Check out your local liquor store, it’s probably already sitting on the shelf.

    Locally, I recently found a nice Belgian called Fatty Boombalatty from Furthermore Brewing in Wisconsin. Yes I bought it for the name, but now I love it for its mind, not just its body.

  • Cold Fish

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    From the Why Don’t I Make This More Often category: Tuna Poke.

    Over the past few stifling days, the last thing I’ve wanted to do was fire up Ol’ Bessie and heat up the kitchen. Oh, maybe I should stand in front of the rocket-fueled grill which has withered the leaves in a five foot radius? No thanks.

    During anti-stove days, it’s either take-out, cheese and bread for dinner, or a flash of brilliance that comes up with tuna poke.

    Ahi poke (po-kay) is actually a Hawaiian dish that, in its basic form, is raw tuna tossed with spices and little crunchy kukui nuts. I found some cool Chilean avellanas at Trader Joes that I would toss in, if I felt like having the crunch, which I usually don’t.

    It’s a chop and chill, people. No cooking required, no heat, barely a mixing bowl. You don’t even have to be a sushi chef and make exact cubes, a nice chunk will do fine. What you’ll get is a flavorful meal that’s light yet filling. Silky, cold tuna with maybe a hit of spicy heat to brighten your eyes is the perfect antidote to hot and hazy. I put mine on a loose avocado mix (that might be compared to guacamole in come circles).

    Ahi Poke
    1 lb. sashimi-grade tuna

    Slice into cubes, throw in a bowl. Add following ingredients:
    2 Tbsp sesame oil
    2 Tbsp soy sauce
    1 tsp sriracha
    1 tsp olive oil
    3 chopped green onions
    pepper/salt

    Toss to coat and chill until cold.

    Avocado Mix
    Gently toss (no mashing) all ingredients in a bowl and chill.

    3 avocados, flesh cut into cubes
    3 large green onions, finely chopped
    1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
    Juice from 1 lime
    salt/pepper

  • Liquid Incense

    I must say I have never understood what the Playboy bunnies saw in Dr. Kissinger. Perhaps they’re professionally equipped to detect charm and wit where mere men miss it. Who knows, the long fluffy ears may contain hidden sensors programmed to relay subtle messages to secondary brains located in the bunnies’ gluteal powder puffs, which, when they are not using them to the same end as the brontosaurus did its rear brain—to regulate the wagging of its great tail—can then transmit in appropriate code to the State Department in Foggy Bottom.

    Certainly one of the most delicious moments I ever heard on the BBC Home Service was an interview with Dr. Kissinger conducted by Jeremy Paxman, the Rottweiler of English political radio. It was a Monday morning, and the return leg of the school run. I had what MPR calls a “driveway moment” so powerful that I had to pull over. Dr. Kissinger clearly thought he had been invited to talk on the wireless so he could puff the sales of his new book. Instead he was asked some rather direct questions about the bombing of Cambodia. The scraping of the chair as the bodacious doctor rose to his feet was punctuated by Mr. Paxman’s running commentary: “Dr. Kissinger appears to be leaving … Bye, Dr. Kissinger.” Gee, those Brits are so polite.

    I guess what irks me most about him, though, is the well-known Kissinger dictum on academic politics, namely that infighting in universities is so bitter because what is at stake is so insignificant. Insignificant to whom, one may ask. Intelligent folk give their lives to enterprises like the breeding of fruit-flies or the study of Shi’ite theology because they think them important (and you never know when such pure study may come in handy—Foggy Bottom could perhaps use a spot of Shi’ite theology). More to the point, pure research is an enterprise often lonely and always imaginative. That is why it engages the passions. When someone whose intimate life has been engaged from an early age with understanding the Middle Ages is told that professional mediaevalists do not actually need to know Latin, it is scarcely surprising that he suffers an acute sense of humor failure. Of such differences are academic disputes made. They may seem insignificant to folk like the erstwhile plenipotentiary, but they are bitter for the rather prosaic reason that they often involve principles that the participants care about passionately.

    It is the same in churches. You can get good Christian folk to disagree about lots of things, from civil unions to the Doctrine of the Trinity. But in my experience the easiest way to incite a spirit of uncharitableness is incense; I am sure Uncle Screwtape would not disagree. For some folk, incense is insincere show, the reek of Rome, the epitome of vain repetition. For others, holy smoke is the prayer of the faithful rising up before God, swirling, shot through with sunlight, shared; they recall how early Christians witnessing the martyrdom of their comrades remarked on the sweet smell emanating from their seared flesh. Incense matters because it has to do with the way Christians pray, and that, presumably, is something they really care about.

    For those who find incense makes them wheezy, let me suggest a method of appreciating it in liquid form. It comes in slim green bottles containing wine made from Carignan grapes by Cline Cellars of Contra Costa County in California. Carignan is a variety with few friends. It has long been widely planted in southwestern France, where it has generally been blended with other varieties to produce vin very ordinaire, promote hangovers and cirrhosis, and sustain full employment in the French agricultural sector. Carignan vines contributed copiously to the Common Market’s “wine lake,” and in recent times French growers have been encouraged to grub them up.

    But where many Frenchmen have failed, Cline Cellars has made a distinctive, strong, dry red wine from Carignan grapes. I sipped it recently at a local hostelry alongside a plate of good oily spaghetti Bolognese. The acids cut right through the oils. But what was most remarkable was the smoky aroma that rose through the roof of the mouth directly from the tannins at the center of the taste. I have seldom met anything like it—the nearest thing I can think of is a nobly nutty, dry Oloroso sherry drunk a quarter-century ago. This is not a wine for everyone—bunnies, I am told, prefer champagne. But those who do like it should find it feeds the imagination. Give it a try.

  • Flower Cooking

    I passed up these farmer’s market jewels again and again, even though they were right there under my eyes the whole time. Not one for plate decoration, I figured the papery squash blossom to be a useless bit of frill, destined to sit prettily and quietly beside some pallid piece of fish. Talk about misjudgment.

    That all changed when I experienced them cooked into a mild risotto: Squash blossoms are a gardener’s delight and market hunter’s treasure. These delicate flowers, which are naturally soft and a bit floppy, grow in a delicate array of yellows and oranges, and are edible raw or cooked. They even offer nutrients: vitamins A and C along with calcium and iron. Female blossoms form directly on the end of the growing squash, while the male blossoms, which don’t actually produce anything, stand on a long stem; both eat equally well.

    Carrying a unique flavor that slightly hints of the accompanying squash, the blossoms can be used in many dishes. Mexican cuisine has long employed them in rich soups or as a layer in quesadillas. New and tasty ways to use the slight beauties call for their subtle but distinct presence in frittatas, biscuits, and salads, all becoming popular in summer. One of the best ways to eat them is beignet style, as a stuffed fritter. Filled with an herbed, creamy cheese and fried with a sweetly crisp outer skin, the blossoms impart a tang and slight bite that make them an addictive starter.

    If you’re harvesting blossoms, it’s best to cut in the morning when the petals are open. The tender flowers don’t keep very well, so they must be handled with care. Whether bringing them in from the garden or home from the market, rinse them in cold water and allow to air-dry. Wrapped in paper towels and sealed in a plastic container, then chilled in the crisper drawer at around 34 degrees, they will stay fresh for up to two days. But enjoy them while you can: Like many of the pleasures of summer, the squash blossom is all too fleeting.

    SQUASH BLOSSOM FRITTERS
    Batter:
    1 cup flour
    1/2 cup cornstarch
    1/2 tsp. kosher salt
    1/2 cup skim milk
    1/2 cup summer ale

    Filling:
    1/2 cup soft goat cheese
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
    1 Tbsp. chopped fresh lemon thyme
    Pinch kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
    Canola oil
    12 squash blossoms

    For batter: Sift dry ingredients, then whisk in liquids until smooth. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
    For filling: In bowl, combine goat cheese, garlic, herbs and seasoning; mix well.
    Slightly open blossoms, spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling into center of each; do not overfill. Twist the top of the blossom to close, chill for 15 minutes.
    For cooking: Pour oil into a 2-inch deep skillet/pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat on high for about 5 minutes. Test oil with a small cube of bread, which will turn golden within seconds when oil is ready.
    Dip stuffed blossom into batter, then slip it gently into the hot oil. Cook and turn until golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. Cook in batches, without overcrowding skillet. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels.
    Sprinkle the blossoms with salt, squeeze a lemon over them, and serve immediately.

  • Summer 'Sicle

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    I wouldn’t call it a theme as much as an obsession. Somehow, every year we end up with a pattern that defines the season. Two years ago it was the Summer of Lemonade, and then Summer of Homemade Ice Cream even an odd Summer of the Turkey Melt after we got the panini press.

    This year’s preoccupation seems to lead to the Summer of the Popsicle.

    I’m not just talking about freezing orange juice in an ice cube tray (although that’s a great way to make a pop-kebab-sicle). I’m talking about whipping together some fun stuff and making guinea pigs out of everyone who comes over.

    The minty-watermelon’sicle was a hit and I’m already thinking of trying a Horchata’sicle and a sangria’sicle for this weekend. I’m not beyond the ice cream dalliance yet, so I might have to work in some creamy chocolate-cayenne’sicles or a vanilla-basil’sicle here and there.

    Minty-Watermelon’sicle

    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1/4 cup water
    4 cups watermelon (seeded and chopped into 1/2inch cubes)
    1/4 cup freshly chopped mint
    1 lime

    Make a simple syrup by heating the water and sugar in a small sauce pan until the sugar has dissolved. Romove from heat and cool.

    In a blender, add half of watermelon and juice from half of lime. Blend unitl smooth, then add syrup, rest of melon, mint and juice from the other half of lime. Puree.

    Pour mix into popsicles molds, paper cups, whatever you want to use. Wait until the mix is a bit frozen and slushy before adding sticks. Freeze until hard, could take up to 6 hours.

  • Top Dish 3

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    Hellloooo, did anyone hear the name of Brian’s winning dish on Top Chef last night?

    Not a coincidence, it was clearly a nod to Chino Latino of Uptown. When I was out there in March, while Brian was secretly “on leave” for “family reasons”, I snapped the above picture of one of the coolers in his kitchen. Once upon a time, when Oceanaire and Parasole were more closely linked, Brian actually spent a few days in the Chino kitchen during his training.

    Shiny moment aside, I thought his seafood sausage was brilliant. It’s creative while remaining humble, which is the soul of BBQ. It was one of those dishes that made me wonder why we aren’t all grilling up a batch. What a perfect creation for the gang at Sea Salt.

    And did you notice his penchant for talking to the guest? I’d put money on the fact that with any challenge which relies on guest input, Brian will sway away with the votes. He’s that guy, the one women want to giggle at and guys want to fist bump.

    As for the others: I now officially like Hung, because even though he’s a cocky little sucker, he hustles and his food backs it up … What the hell is Joey Buttafuco doing there? His first dish was safe and average and his second dish was average and boring. One of my NY friends is mortified that he’s representin’ … CJ is funny. And not just because he has a fake testicle … Howie’s got one more chance, he’s already tied to the chopping block … I loved Tre’s hubris after winning one challenge, he’s king of the heap!

    And so far, Micah is the only memorable woman, and that’s because she’s a sobber?! Come on ladies, let’s kick some ass!