Saturday morning I headed to the Midtown Farmer’s Market for the second time of the year. Unfortunately, last week’s prayers for asparagus went unanswered; still no fresh fruits or veggies anywhere to be seen. According to their website, I shouldn’t expect fresh vegetables until the end of May. But just because there aren’t any vegetables […]
I’m not usually one to make cookies (much to Martha’s dismay), but when Cook’s Illustrated claims to have created “Perfect” chocolate chip cookies, the boast could not be ignored. Cook’s is based on perfecting recipes, but their claims are not usually quite so bold; more along the lines of ‘Ultimate Coq au Vin’, ‘Perfecting Berry […]
3 comments | Chocolate, Chocolate Chips, Cook's Illustrated, Cookies, Dessert, Perfection, Toffee, Tollhouse
The first weekend in May marks the opening of my farmers’ market of choice in Minneapolis, the Midtown Farmers’ Market. Because our national food media is so dominated by California and New York, I had all kinds of high expectations for tender asparagus, fresh peas and other spring goodies. As it turns out, that is […]
3 comments | Cabrito, Farm, Goat, Local, Minneapolis, Mutton, Rooster, Salsa
As winter slowly releases its icy grip on the north, I get pretty desperate for any vegetable that isn’t a root. It is pretty exciting when green things start to reappear in the grocery, even if they have to be trucked in from California in late April. So it is with fresh fava beans, a […]
6 comments | Economic Crisis, Fava, Fresh, Green, Produce, Spring, Wedge
Hipster party!
6 comments | BBQ, Beer, Condiments, Homemade, Minneapolis, Outdoor, Patio, PBR, Pickles, Pork, Sandwiches, Uptown
The first picnic of the year, a little early as always.
11 comments | Asparagus, Ham, Lake Calhoun, Mayo, Mayonnaise, Outdoors, Parks, Sandwich, Spring
As far as dips go, if it has raw garlic you can count me in. This started with guacamole and continued right on through to hummus and beyond. My most recent discovery is the Turkish dip tarator. Tarator consists of almonds ground with olive oil, water or broth, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. As with […]
2 comments | Almonds, Dip, Garlic, Lamb, Lemon, middle east, Sauce
Many factors affect the way bread turns out: what kind of flour is used, if and how long the bread gets kneaded, the amount of salt, natural yeast versus canned yeast, the ambient conditions, etc. Of these, none is more influential than the ratio of water to flour. Bakers express this ratio as a baker’s […]
6 comments | Bread, Flour, Math, Natural Yeast, No Recipes, Starter, Technique, Water
A quick calculator for making up bread recipes.
1 comment | Bread, Flour, Math, Natural Yeast, Starter, Technique, Water
Pasta Carbonara and Victory Golden Monkey is an inspired pairing
3 comments | Ale, Bacon, Beer, Belgian, Carbonara, Pasta, Trippel