Girl Detective

My husband G. Grod and I recently passed our eighth wedding anniversary. We celebrated by getting a babysitter and making a dinner reservation at a Twin Cities restaurant friends have praised, but that we had not yet tried. The chef is a veteran of many local and national big-name places, and started his own place not long ago. The menu was strong, and we were excited about the food. We shared a foie gras appetizer and french fries. Both were quite good. Then I got the fish special and G. Grod got a steak. The server stopped by immediately, and we said things were good. But soon after, I found that the fish was overwhelmed by the winter vegetable preparation that accompanied it. G. Grod’s steak was overdone. We gave the server this feedback when he did finally return, but by then we had finished the entrees. We ordered desserts, and had a very good berry tart and a spiced chocolate cake. But our impression of the restaurant was of infrequent service, and expensive though only OK entrees. Our experience didn’t leave us eager to return.

I wondered at the time whether the problems were due in part to dining on a Friday–did an increase in the number of diners mean diminishing quality? My next two restaurant experiences didn’t disprove this theory. I ate out with friends at 112 Eatery on a Wednesday. The service was attentive and friendly, and the food was quite good: french fries with aioli, romaine salad with roquefort, the lamb sugo pasta, and the pot de creme dessert, which was great when mixed and matched with the banana cream dessert that a friend got. The burger received raves. I must remember that the pot de creme easily feeds two.

I did another night out on Thursday at Gardens of Salonica. I’ve been to Gardens a lot over the years we’ve lived here, but I went with a friend who was very familiar with the menu, so I tried some things I hadn’t before. I had the Greek salad, which was lightly dressed and bright with lemon. We shared a sampler platter of feta dip, potato/garlic dip, and artichokes on pita. I got greek fries and leek lemon boughatsa–a phyllo packet, and shared some of a friend’s stuffed cabbage leaves. Finally, I tried the galaktoboureko, a layered custard with phyllo in an apricot honey sauce. Service was helpful, attentive, water glasses were refilled, and the food was well prepared and delivered quickly.

I may be comparing apples and oranges. The latter two restaurants are small, and more neighborhood places than destination joints like the first. But of the three experiences, I’d prefer to frequent a small place that does its thing well, than a large place that costs more, and is more ambitious, but less of a sure thing with quality and consistency.

The last night of my recent trip to Philly, friends M. and L. watched the kids so I could go with my in laws to Salt and Pepper, the 6th and Fitzwater restaurant owned by a family friend. It’s a small space, with a brief menu that changes seasonally. The open kitchen with its single chef takes up about 1/4 of the pale-green tiled room. Lemons and pears were decorations, as well as ingredients.

I had the salad with pears and fried shallots, which was a good blend of textures and flavors, and dressed with just the right amount of vinaigrette. My entree was perfectly grilled diver scallops atop roasted pumpkin. For dessert, we sampled all three choices,the chocolate cake with mocha cream, the warm Frangelli’s donut with creme fraiche and berries, and a creme brulee with fresh Black Mission figs. The chocolate cake was merely good; it lacked the assertive taste that I prefer in a chocolate dessert. The figs had a rich, wine-y flavor. The donut, though, was a standout. It was sweet, simple, and local. Salt & Pepper is a neighborhood sweetheart, rather than a destination place (only street parking is available), but the space and menu reflect that it knows its strengths, and isn’t trying to be anything it’s not.

Smoothie season is really over, but during the past summer, smoothies (or foozies, as Drake lisped them) were a frequent snack at our house. I invented a peach one that was a particular favorite.

Peach Smoothie (based on the yogurt smoothie recipe from Cook’s Country)

1 10 oz bag frozen peaches
2 small ripe bananas
1/2 c. Knudsen Orange Carrot juice
2 Tbl. honey
1 1/2 c. whole milk vanilla yogurt

Blend until smooth. Serves 3 to 4, and doesn’t keep, so drink it all!

For last night’s Project Runway 3 finale, my friends had a potluck dinner, and I brought brownies. I love the brownie recipe I use. It turns out every time. It’s easy (even easier when I melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave) and it’s quick. It’s from Alice Medrich’s book Cookies and Brownies, which I bought based on a recommendation in Cook’s Illustrated. Buy Medrich’s book, or, if you’re feeling cautious, borrow it from the library and audition it for your home cookbook collection.

New Classic Brownies from Alice Medrich’s Cookies and Brownies

8 Tbl. unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coursely chopped
1 1/4 c. sugar (can use light brown, white, or a mixture of the two)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 lg. eggs
1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Use an 8 in. square metal pan, lined across the bottom and sides with 2 strips of aluminum foil, spray with non-stick oil.

Preheat oven to 400F. Position rack in lower third of oven.

Melt the butter and chocolate gently: in double boiler, in glass bowl over low-simmering water in small saucepan, or in microwave at 50% power. Stir frequently until mixture is melted and smooth.

Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt. Check to be sure mixture is not hot, then add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until each is incorporated before adding the next. Stir flour into chocolate mixture, and beat with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth, glossy and comes away from side of bowl, about 1 minute. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from side of pan. Surface will be dry but inside will be gooey, so don’t bother with a toothpick test.

While brownies bake, prepare an ice bath: Fill a roasting pan or large baking pan with ice cubes and water about 3/4 inch deep.

When brownies are ready, remove pan from oven and set it immediately in ice bath, taking care not to splash water on brownies. Cool brownies in ice bath. (Medrich calls this the Steve ritual, and this step is critical in producing brownies that have a firm crust but creamy, fudgy center. You may use this method with other 8″ brownie recipes: bake for 20 min at 400F, put in ice bath.)

Our parenting class instructor says it’s best to leave junk food in the store. My favorite baby book, Baby 411, advises that parents foster healthy eating habits by eschewing the four Cs: cookies, candy, chips, and cola. I saw this when I flipped through the book the other week, and kept it in mind during last week’s grocery trip, and didn’t buy any of those items. That week, Drake may not have known what he was missing, but I did, and it made me cranky.

The next grocery trip I bought a bottle of black cherry pop, a dark chocolate bar, a bag of Kettle chips, and a bag of chocolate Newman O’s. I’ve kept all but the chips out of 3yo Drake’s hands. While I agree that the ideal is to not to have them in the house, I’ve found my mood improves appreciably when I have access to an occasional treat.

Some friends of mine used to joke that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing twice, and expecting different results. After spending yesterday in the kitchen and using just about every utensil and gadget, I think I have a new definition.

Insanity is making baby food from scratch.

Jars of organic food are easy, readily available, and not that expensive, though maybe not at the rate and volume baby Guppy consumes them. I don’t care what the books say, making it from scratch is time, labor and dirty-dish intensive. Plus I’m not sure I’m allowed to complain about being stressed and busy if one of the things that takes up my time is making baby food.

And yet, homemade peaches taste really good; homemade zucchini is very pretty; homemade green beans are a bitch to puree, but are way more appetizing looking and tasting than what comes in a jar. I shop for organic produce for the rest of the family anyway, and avoid packaged food when possible. Buying produce for Guppy and pureeing isn’t inconsistent from a quality of food standpoint.

But it might be inconsistent with a quality of life standpoint.

Some friends and I set aside a night for dinner out, and left the kids home with the husbands. What a luxury it was to eat good food prepared by someone else, uninterrupted, and at a leisurely pace. When it came time to pay the bill, I offered to put it on my card to simplify things. One friend wrote me a check (because this is MN, where we write checks for everything), but another realized she’d forgotten her checkbook, and had no cash.

“Would you accept a Target gift card?” she asked, holding out what she did have in her wallet.

I laughed and said yes. Moms are nothing if not adaptable.

At six months old, our son Drake refused rice cereal, veggies AND fruit, presaging the years since of picky eating. Twice I tried to make my own baby food. Twice he refused it, and I was stuck with veggie puree and tons of dishes. Forget it, I thought. He can eat out of jars.

When baby Guppy was waking frequently in the night after four months, I offered him a tiny amount of rice cereal. He slurped it down. This is going great, I thought. Then he was up with gas all night. I tried again after six months. He became constipated. So I mixed in a little prune juice, which caused gas. What to feed him, then? I unearthed my two baby food cookbooks, Mommy Made and Daddy Too by Martha and David Kimmel, and First Foods by Annabel Karmel.

Both books say cooking for kids is easy. As I found before, it’s not the cooking that’s hard, it’s the cleanup. The Karmel book is particularly bad for dirty-dish intensive recipes. While it’s pretty with lots of glossy photos, the more I spend time with it, the more I dislike it. Page 35 shows 12 panels of brightly colored infant purees. But they repeat three of the photos twice, identifying them as different foods, e.g., the same photo for carrots and sweet potato. Additionally, the Karmel book does not give details on what foods to introduce when. It simply recommends avoiding common allergens early.

The Kimmel book give details on what to introduce and when, but it’s not clear that the recommendations are from the American Academy of Pediatrics. And the website in the book is no longer owned by the authors. The Kimmel book swears that fresh baby food is far superior to jarred. I’m not completely convinced, especially because even conventional baby food doesn’t contain additives these days, and there are at least three readily available organic brands to choose among. Yet once again, I’ve been swayed into cooking my own baby food. I baked sweet potatoes and bananas, and steamed peaches and pears. Then I pureed them, and froze them in tablespoon dollops. I was reminded that sweet potatoes should be riced or put through a food mill; putting them in the food processor makes them gluey, which the Kimmel book doesn’t caution against. Guppy is mostly rewarding my efforts by being a good eater, but he doesn’t seem to mind the jarred stuff, either. And we’re still having bouts of tummy trouble.

My husband and I went on a date last weekend to the new Midtown Global Market (MGM). Based on the City Pages article, we tried food from three different shops. We got a torta from Mannys, a tamale and liquado from La Loma, and a huarache from Los Ocampo. We got a Coke with real sugar from one of the grocers, as well as a can of chipotle chiles that I hadn’t been able to get when shopping at my regular place earlier in the day, and the cut of meat I needed for our next meal. We splurged on a container of Potion #9, a chocolate sauce made with local Hope butter. The woman who sold it to us confessed without guilt that she doesn’t bother putting it on ice cream; she eats it out of the container by the spoonful. We’ve served it over ice cream, but are so determined to get every last bit of chocolate sauce out of the bowl that there’s little to be heard over the furious clinking of spoons. (The bowls are not wide enough to lick, which is the only thing constraining us. So either I need to serve in a wider, shallower bowl, or get out a spatula next time. Such is the compelling nature of this chocolate sauce.)

Visiting the MGM, I was reminded fondly of the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. The MGM has great places both for cooked food and for foodstuffs. I left so full I could hardly move, wondering when we could next go back.

As usual, one trip to the Minnesota State Fair wasn’t enough for me. My second trip was with a friend, and without kids. I was positively giddy with freedom. We visited the craft barn to see the baking, knitting and quilts; the fine arts building to see the painting, photography, and children’s book art from the Kerlan Collection; and the agriculture building to see the orchid displays. Everything was fun to see, but perhaps nothing more than the freakish whimsy of the Sock Monkey dresses, 1 and 2.

I was pleasantly reminded that the fair is not _just_ about food. Even though we live in the city, I’m suburban in my food focus at the fair, according to this article on Slate. My friend introduced me to a new favorite: corn fritters with honey butter (outside the Food Building). I also had lemonade, fried cheese curds, Thai sausage on a stick in puff pastry, 1919 root beer, a frozen mocha on a stick, mini cinnamon rolls, and mini donuts. Going once with the family and once with a friend felt like just enough State Fair time. As with blush, I suspect “just enough” is probably the perfect amount.

G. Grod and I did our very first visit to the fair on our own as a family. Going with Drake and Guppy isn’t that much more challenging than going with Drake by himself, as we did last year. As usual, we eschewed traditional fair activities for my favorite one: eating. I tried several new foods, and sought out some old favorites. My wish list was, not surprisingly, too ambitious, but we did eat a variety of different things.

We began with breakfast at the Blue Moon Diner, near the Loop entrance. We had a strawberry waffle, sausage egg strata, and pull-apart cinnamon rolls. The latter were supposed to be gooey, but were instead overbaked, so crunchy but still tasty. This was a quite decent breakfast, and the diner showed The Andy Griffith Show and Three Stooges videos on a big screen in its eat-in area. This was good if you are looking for fair food with substance.

Next was Tom Thumb mini donuts followed by roast corn on the cob. Drake wasn’t that excited by the corn this time, but he loved the donuts. Drake likes to pat Guppy’s head, and G. Grod and I were amused to find patches of donut sugar on Guppy’s head. We next headed to the Food Building for fried cheese curds. G. Grod was wrangling Drake and collecting the curds when Drake twisted the wrong way, and the curds went flying. Drake found this hilarious, and the cheese curd people kindly gave us a replacement. I tried the Spiral Chips at Sonny’s, but they were only OK, and in typical fair fashion, they were expensive ($5) with a portion much too big for just two adults. Outside the Food Building we got a cup of my favorite root beer, 1919, which was sweet, herbal, and just bubbly enough. Drake had a hard time sharing it with me, but I persevered. G. Grod got a Red Bull push up, and then he and I shared a frozen mocha on a stick, my new favorite item.

Heading north, we stopped at Giggles and tried the porcupine meatballs of elk meat mixed with wild rice, in portobello mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes. These were good, but unseasonally heavy for the summer weather. Like breakfast at Blue Moon, the choices at Giggles were excellent quality for fair food, and good quality in general. They’re more like real food than fair food, so better for those who are staying for an entire day, or not looking to try a lot of different foods.

Drake surprised us by saying yes to a hot dog on a stick, so we got him a beef and wild rice corn dog in the food building, but he only wanted to lick the ketchup off, as if it were a condiment lollipop. The three of us then shared a cone of Sweet Martha’s cookies and a cup of milk before heading to the parking lot. At the car, we were boxed in by marching bands. Drake listened and danced in delight for quite some time, then wanted to go dance WITH the band, and was reluctant to go home. Even after a long, hot morning and lots of food, he continued his nap strike, which has been going on for about 2 weeks. It was a beautiful day, both boys enjoyed the trip, and we had some wonderful food, though, so the trip was certainly a success.

Our family will be visiting the Minnesota State Fair this week. Other families go for the rides, or the exhibits. I go for the food. A kind friend this week commented that I was passionate about food. Some might say obsessed. Last year’s visit found me not as prepared as I would have liked to be. Here is this year’s food plan. I’m not sure if it’s even possible to eat all these things in one day. But I’m going to try.

Old Favorites:

Food Building cheese curds
World’s Best french fries
roast corn
Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies
Tom Thumb mini donuts
1919 root beer

Rick Nelson’s Best of 2005

- Frozen Mocha on a Stick (Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop, Dan Patch Avenue at Cosgrove Street).
- Mini cinnamon rolls (Cinni Smiths, Murphy Avenue at Cooper Street).
- Sorbet in hollowed-out fruit (Key Lime Pie Bar, Cooper Street at the Skyride).
- Spiral Chips (Sonny’s Spiral Chips & Sandwiches, Food Building).
- Puff Daddy on a Stick (Sausage Sister & Me, Food Building).
- Smoked salmon wrap (Giggles’ Campfire Grill, Cooper Street at Lee Avenue).

Rick Nelson’s Best of 2006

- Boatload of Chicken Sticks and porcupine meatballs, Giggles’ Campfire Grill, Cooper St. at Lee Av.
- Chocolate-covered marshmallows, Ultimate Confections, Grandstand
- Breakfast, Blue Moon Dine-In Theater, Carnes Av. and Chambers St.
- Wild rice corn dogs, Minnesota Wild Rice, Food Building

And, for the husband:

- Red Bull Push-ups, Axel’s, Food Building, southeast corner

Drake had his third birthday over the weekend. In honor of the occasion, I made Boston Cream Cupcakes, which I’ve been dying to try since I saw the picture in the June/July issue of Cook’s Country. They were time intensive, but not difficult, and worth the effort for a special occasion.

Boston Cream Cupcakes
from Cook’s Country 6/2006

Bake the cupcakes in a greased and floured muffin tin rather than paper cupcake liners so the chocolate glaze can run down the sides of the cooled cakes.

Makes 12

Pastry Cream
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch table salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 additional teaspoon
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter , cut into 2 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus additional for dusting muffin tin
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the pastry cream: Heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add cornstarch and whisk until mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 15 seconds.

2. When cream reaches full simmer, slowly whisk it into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to small bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

3. For the cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray, flour generously, and tap pan to remove excess flour.

4. With electric mixer on low speed, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter, one piece at a time, and combine until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add milk and vanilla, increase speed to medium, and mix until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.

5. Fill muffin cups three-quarters full (do not overfill). Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan 5 minutes, then transfer them to rack to cool completely.

6. For the glaze: Cook cream, corn syrup, chocolate, and vanilla in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Set glaze aside to cool and thicken for 30 minutes.

7. Prepare and fill cupcakes as shown in photos 1 through 4. Refrigerate until just set, about 10 minutes. (Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)

STEP BY STEP: How to Make Boston Cream Cupcakes

1. Insert the tip of a small knife at a 45-degree angle about 1/8 inch from the edge of the cupcake and cut all the way around, removing a cone of cake.
2. Cut away all but the top 1/4 inch of the cone, leaving only a small disk of cake.
3. Fill the cupcake with 2 tablespoons pastry cream and top with the disk of cake.
4. Set the filled cupcakes on a wire rack set over parchment paper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of glaze over each cupcake, allowing it to drip down the sides.

Even before having kids, we found that combining dinner and a movie was difficult, logistically. Either we rushed to an early movie and ate late, or rushed through dinner to a movie. My husband and I had been on two dates since baby Guppy was born in February, and both were movie dates. (#1, and #2). After traveling and a few tough weeks at home, I decided it was time for a dinner date. And if we were going to go to dinner, I figured we might as well go for broke (perhaps literally) to what our favorite food critic has called “the best restaurant in the history of Minneapolis.”

The superlative is well deserved. A few times during dinner I asked my husband if something was wrong, since he looked rather pissed off. “They’re ruining me,” he complained. “This is too good. Nothing will ever be this good again.” It may well have been the best dinner we’ve ever had. We chose the five course tasting menu, supplemented at our server’s suggestion with the foie gras appetizer (because since when is foie gras NOT a good idea?) and with an extra dessert at the food critic’s suggestion. Even if I’d kept a menu, I couldn’t list all the elements of each dish, because there were so many–I’d hazard to guess about ten elements per dish. Yet they didn’t come off as fussy, disjointed or complicated. Each course was a miracle of fusion and balance.

We began with not one but two amuses bouches, a sauteed squash flower stuffed with cheese and a gruyere puff. The courses were soft shell crab in a bright fresh tomato sauce, followed by trout wrapped in serrano ham, then the foie gras, which was garnished with an apricot sauce that demanded for extra bread to wipe the plate clean. The meat courses were a lamb ribeye and a veal tenderloin. The dessert was a peach and plum tart with peach ginger sorbet, which we complemented with a deep chocolate dessert accompanied by a strawberry and mint confection. With our check were four exquisite, delicious petit-fours.

I was reminded that the best meals we’ve eaten have been tasting menus. A la carte menus make sense for average restaurants, or for meals when time is an issue. But when the meal is the focus (and cost is wilfully ignored), a tasting menu showcases the talents of a chef across a variety of ingredients. The effects, as we experienced, can be dazzling both to the eye and to the palate.

I tried, and did not entirely fail, to make a salad similar to the club salad from Houston’s. I used this recipe for the honey-mustard dressing. It made far too much even when I halved the amount. I recommend quartering the amount and going light on the honey, and have put my approximations below. Making this salad is based on the assumption that you have leftover chicken tenders in the house; otherwise it would be far too much of a pain to make. Our leftovers were from a recipe for Firecracker Chicken from Cook’s Country. (Sorry no link for the recipe, but it’s from the current issue, August/September 2006.)

Club Salad (serves 2 as a meal)

1 bag or 2 hearts of romaine (about six cups)
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 hard cooked egg, sliced
1 ripe Haas avocado, sliced
4 chicken tenders

Honey Mustard dressing

1/4 c. olive or other vegetable oil
1 Tbl. cider vinegar
2 Tbl. honey
2 Tbl. dijon mustard
3 Tbl. mayonaise
pinch garlic salt

Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl.

If using bagged lettuce, sort through, then wash and spin dry. Think I’m being paranoid? Think again. If using hearts of romaine, strip off any wilted or brown outer leaves, wash until clean. Spin dry and break into bite-size pieces.

If you have already cooked bacon, crumble it. If you don’t, chop or cut bacon with scissors into small pieces, fry until crisp, remove with slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

To boil eggs: Poke hole with pushpin or needle in fat end of egg to puncture membrane. Cover eggs with water. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and cover for fifteen minutes. Transfer to ice bath for 5 minutes.

To slice avocado: slice with butter knife in skin, then use spoon to scoop out slices.

Reheat chicken tenders at 350 for five minutes. Remove and chop into 3/4 inch pieces.

Divide romaine between bowls. Top with crumbled bacon, egg, avocado, and chicken. Drizzle with honey mustard dressing. (Do not pre-dress the greens, the dressing is heavy and the salad will quickly become too wet.) Serve immediately.

If you live in the Twin Cities and shop in one of the many grocery cooperatives, you’ve likely purchased and enjoyed some of the excellent produce from local farmers Atina and Martin Diffley of Gardens of Eagan. My favorites are corn in summer, squash in fall, and dinosaur (lacinato) kale in winter. This local, organic farm is in danger because of a proposed oil pipeline. While the pipeline is supposed to bring cleaner and more efficient energy, Gardens of Eagan is not able to be moved or replaced. Please help support Gardens of Eagan. Follow either of the links for more information, and where to write a letter asking that a different route be used for the pipeline.

The thought of a hot oven and heavy food is as oppressive as the heat and humidity. I’ve been relying much on salads, since the local, organic lettuces are so fine.

Last night was Firecracker Chicken Salad from Cook’s Country (new website when I checked today), with leftover chicken tenders and romaine tossed with a spicy dressing, chow mein noodles, and mandarin oranges.

I’ve searched the web, and have not been able to find a menu that includes, or a recipe for, Houston’s Club Salad, which was a favorite of mine in college. From other descriptions, and memory, I’m going to try a salad of romaine, chicken tenders, avocado, hard-boiled egg, crumbled bacon, and honey mustard dressing. I’ll post a recipe if I succeed.

If I can find some promising looking steak this weekend, we’ll have steak with arugula and parmesan. This recipe came from an email solicitation for The Quick Recipe; it convinced me to buy the book. I’ve probably used this single recipe, though, more times than I’ve used the entire book.

Tuscan-Style Steak with Arugula and Parmesan
Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes

For the best results, use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and genuine Parmesan cheese. The greens may be washed and dried up to a day ahead of time, but the vinaigrette should be made the same day for the best flavor. If the arugula is very mature, tear the leaves into 2 or 3 pieces. Serve a crusty loaf of bread alongside to soak up any remaining vinaigrette and juices from the steak.

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
(about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 boneless strip steaks, 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick (8 to 10 ounces each),
trimmed of exterior gristle and patted dried with paper towels
8 cups loosely packed arugula
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into thin shavings

1. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Lay the steaks in the pan and cook, without moving, until a well-browned crust forms, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steaks. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more for rare (120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) or 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare (125 degrees). Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Divide the arugula evenly among 4 individual plates. Cut each steak crosswise into thin strips and arrange the steak over the arugula. Drizzle any juices that collected from the meat over the greens. Rewhisk the dressing and drizzle it over the steak and greens. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Even in my small, local grocery co-op, shopping can be difficult, especially if I take both Drake and Guppy with me. By the time I get to the end, I feel the need for a sustaining treat to get me through checkout, bagging and the ride home. Cannily, my store stocks individual cans and bottles of Izze sparkling juice and the non-guilt-inducing sized bars of Dagoba organic chocolate before the register lines, just where my spirit usually flags. I’ve made a sort of game, pairing complementary flavors of soda and chocolate. Here are my favorites, thus far.

Pomegranate Izze/Lime Dagoba chocolate bar
Blueberry Izze/Lavender Dagoba chocolate bar
Clementine Izze/Lime or Dark Dagoba chocolate bar
Grapefruit Izze/Mon Cherri Dagoba chocolate bar
Pear Izze/Dark Dagoba chocolate bar

I grew up in central Ohio, moved away at 19, and have lived elsewhere ever since. Since family is still there, though, I visit a couple times a year. An ongoing frustration for me is getting food of similar quality to what I’ve come to appreciate in Minnesota, which has both a good restaurant culture as well as an emphasis on local, organic foods.

The first meal I made when we returned from our recent trip to Ohio was Mediterranean chicken, with local chicken and zucchini, and organic cherry tomatoes. Next, I made a roasted red onion and pear dinner salad, with a mix of local Lolla Rossa and red leaf lettuces instead of those called for in the recipe. The night after that was pan-seared local pork chops with parsley-olive relish, and brown sugar shortcakes with local red and black raspberries and heavy cream for dessert.

All recipes are from Cook’s Country, which has become my first stop for cooking ideas. The recipes are well-tested, so they work. They are seasonal, so they include ingredients that are not only readily available, but that are often locally grown. I have drastically cut spending in almost every area of life except on groceries. Not only does local, sustainably farmed food taste better to me, but my money goes to local farmers and local food cooperatives, so it stays in the community.

The time came (and really went) to harvest my third backyard rhubarb plant. With the first, I made Rhubarb Tarte Tatin from Nigella Lawson. It was OK. With the second, I made a Rhubarb Crisp from some online recipe. This was barely OK because it wasn’t at all crisp on top–the juices of the baking rhubarb completely overwhelmed any possibility of a browned topping. For the last plant, then, I turned to Cook’s Illustrated. They only have 2 rhubarb recipes in over ten years of magazines, but the success rate of their recipes promised more success. The one I wanted to try was the Rhubarb Fool, which is cooked rhubarb layered with sweetened whipped cream in parfait glasses. I couldn’t give up the idea of a pastry, though, so I combined the recipe with the Cornmeal Shortcakes (one of the easy recipes) from Sunday Suppers at Lucques. The resulting Rhubarb Shortcakes were lovely and delicious. I mix the shortcakes by hand, rather than in a food processor. It’s messier, but simpler.

Cornmeal Shortcakes from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. stone-ground cornmeal
1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar
4 Tbl. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 c. plus 1 Tbl. heavy cream

Preheat over to 425. Whisk first five dry ingredients together in medium/large bowl. Add butter, then with hands or a pastry blender, cut into dry ingredients until there is no lump larger than a pea. Make a well in the middle, add 1 c. cream and fold quickly with rubber spatula just until dough comes together. Knead in bowl a very few times to get dough in ball, then transfer to cutting surface, pat into inch-thick disk, and make four cuts to form eight wedges. Brush tops with remaining cream, sprinkle with sugar and bake about 15 minutes until light golden brown.

Rhubarb topping, from Rhubarb Fool, Cook’s Illustrated 5/2001

2 1/4 pounds fresh rhubarb , trimmed of ends and cut into 6-inch lengths
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch table salt
2 cups heavy cream (cold)

1. Soak rhubarb in 1 gallon cold water for 20 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, and cut rhubarb crosswise into slices 1/2-inch thick.

2. Bring orange juice, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt to boil in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rhubarb and return to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring only 2 or 3 times (frequent stirring causes rhubarb to become mushy), until rhubarb begins to break down and is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer rhubarb to nonreactive bowl, cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 24.

3. Beat cream and remaining sugar in bowl of standing mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 45 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 45 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, about 30 seconds.

To assemble shortcakes, split each shortcake in half horizontally, spoon about 1/4 cup rhubarb over the bottom, then spoon about 1/4 cup whipped cream. Top with other shortcake half. Serves 8.