As with others who work in the food business, I—and especially my chef husband—have had new friends express their reservations about cooking for us. (Usually this comes out over a few glasses of wine at our house.) But in truth, the only real differences between a home cook and a food pro are time and … Read more
Back in the seventies, one of my sisters spent a summer clopping around in Dr. Scholl’s with white cotton socks. Supposedly it was doctor’s orders—he said she had an allergy to the rubber in sneakers—but what kind of doctor would prescribe Dr. Scholl’s for an eight-year-old tomboy? Probably she badgered our mother for them. Naturally … Read more
Standing where Cedar and Riverside Avenues cross, it’s hard to believe that this was once the blondest intersection in all of Minneapolis. In the 1800s, it was home to the city’s largest concentration of Scandinavian immigrants. Today, framed by the looming Riverside Plaza Towers and the long-standing 400 Bar, the neighborhood is still defined by … Read more
With his wide-set, almond-shaped eyes and dark-coffee complexion, the statuesque Ini Iyamba possesses a sort of chiseled, architectural beauty, which is only enhanced by a devout commitment to fitness. The other day, he wore an outfit that complemented both God-given and hard-won features: closefitting jeans and a snug vintage tee, tight around the shoulders, with … Read more
Marcia Gardner (Minnetonka) and Colin Fenwick (Shorewood) write: Hello! The Rake was with us as we traveled and worked as part of a Global Volunteers team in Mexico about a year ago. Here we are in a park in the town of Victoria, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Author(s) and Location: Marcia Gardner
Twin Citizens Desi Fernandez and Laine Bergeson traveled eight thousand miles (a twenty-eight hour flight; good thing they brought a copy of The Rake!) to visit former Twin Citizens Jennifer, Grady, and Linda Jean Kenix in New Zealand. Here they are in Kaiteriteri enjoying springtime in December. How come they’re not upside down? Author(s) and … Read more
CJ Kurth writes: This picture was taken on the campus of Peking University in Beijing, China. My coworker who was showing me around said I should take a picture here as it is a very famous lake in China and that most Chinese would recognize the location. The tower seemed like a perfect backdrop. I … Read more
Recently, the American College of Emergency Physicians issued a national report card on the state of emergency medicine, and the whole country received a grade of C-minus. Minnesota, which is generally the slightly smug and self-satisfied Lisa Simpson character amongst its peer states in these ratings, was issued a slightly improved C-plus, a devastating blow … Read more
Tri Mai is a bachelor, though not of the beer-and-babe-poster variety. He keeps his South Minneapolis foursquare house immaculate. Precision and aesthetics rule the roost in equal measure, and this balance is everywhere. It’s in the play of light through three stained-glass panels suspended in his front windows. It’s in the careful arrangement of living … Read more