Girl Detective

Dear fellow Minnesotans: Didn’t you learn a lesson from the last several elections? When a Republican, a Democrat, and a third party run, the third party will take votes from one contender, in most cases the Democrat. The result is that the Republican is elected, which can hardly be desired by those who are voting third party. This is how Pawlenty got elected the first time, and it’s how he got elected again. If you add the votes for the DFL candidate with the votes for the independent candidate, you get a number that would have defeated Pawlenty handily. And yet he’s still here. Not only because of those who voted for him, but because of those who voted against his most viable opponent, the DFL candidate. While we voted for instant runoff voting for municipal races, until instant runoff is implemented at all levels, the governor’s race might as well be a two party system. Anyone who votes otherwise is likely to elect their last choice.

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.

Hard on the heels of my post about not buying books before I am able to read them, or even before I’ve read them, I bought a book last night that I haven’t read, and don’t intend to read soon. Jodi at I Will Dare wrote that Mary Gaitskill was doing a reading last night, so I grabbed her books that I own (Two Girls, Fat and Thin; Bad Behavior; Because They Wanted To) and the issue of Harper’s that had her essay on rape, which blew my mind when I read it, and tried but failed to lay my hands on my copy of her essay from Vogue on Little Women.

I had been so virtuous for so long, not buying or even putting Gaitskill’s new novel Veronica in my library queue, because I had not yet read her last story collection, Because They Wanted To. But sometime within the past year, I read an article that said she was one of a handful of talented writers who can barely make a living, and since I agree with the talented part, I thought I should put my money where my ethics were, and buy Veronica. So I did, directly contradicting nearly everything I wrote earlier this week, except for how good I am at rationalizing.

Gaitskill was a good reader, and seemed a little shy in front of the audience. Her writing was mesmerizing, and she had interesting things to say about how she wrote Veronica years ago when she had an emotional idea about the book, but wasn’t able to finish it till she had a more intellectual handle on it and could tackle the manuscript holistically. She has arresting white-blonde hair, and wore a pin-striped brown suit over boots that looked both fashionable, and sharp enough to poke a good-sized hole in someone’s shin. And her outfit was a good reflection of how she seemed: smart, talented, with an edge.

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

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.

#40 in my book challenge for the year, and #16 in my summer reading challenge, was The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Kate gave a reading last weekend, which prompted me to re-read her previous books before picking up her newest one. The Tale of Despereaux won the Newbery award, and it’s a sad, lovely story with beautiful pencil illustrations. Despereaux is a tiny but large-eared mouse, who is exiled from the mice because he won’t conform. He goes on to endure many difficulties as he struggles not only to survive, but to restore both soup and the princess to the kingdom. The book is not only sad, but frequently delves into disturbing portraits of perfidy (which the author exhorts the reader to look up) and evil. One character, Miggery Sow, endures so much that no happy ending can really redeem all that she has suffered. Throughout, the author addresses the reader in the same manner as Charlotte Bronte did in Jane Eyre. I felt this was a way to remind the reader that while dark things are happening, the reader is not alone in the darkness. The contrast of light and dark, and its reflections both in character and in events, is present throughout, as are reminders that this is a story. Despereaux is longer and more complex than DiCamillo’s previous books, Because of Winn Dixie and The Tiger Rising. I don’t think it’s as charming as the former, or as moving as the latter, but it is a compelling story, well told.

#39 in my book challenge for the year, and #15 in my summer reading challenge, was The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Rob is a young boy whose mother has died, and who has trouble with bullies at school. After he finds a caged tiger in the woods, and befriends Sistine Bailey, he has to decide if his previous coping mechanisms can still work for him. There is a great deal of sadness in the book, for Rob and for other characters as well. Additionally, unlike DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie, the book goes beyond sadness and portrays glimpses into evil–cruelty for its own sake–as well. This is a sad, but ultimately rewarding book, with good emotional insight into difficult circumstances.

#38 in my book challenge for the year, and #14 in my summer reading challenge, though it wasn’t on my list, was Because of Winn Dixie by Twin Cities author and transplanted southerner Kate DiCamillo. Kate read for a community event over the weekend from this book, and did an extended Q & A for her audience, mostly kids and their parents. Because of Winn Dixie bucks convention because its the story of a _girl_ and her dog. Like the Littmus Lozenges of the story, Because of Winn Dixie is a mix of elements both sweet and sad. It includes some tragic stuff, like an alcholic absentee mom and a drowned child. Yet the main character, India Opal Buloni, and the reader are able to bear these because the story and its cast of characters are so strongly woven and supportive.

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.

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.

I once had a friend from NYC who loved A Prairie Home Companion. I gave a listen, and was bored by its content and physically repulsed by Keillor’s voice. I talked with other friends about it, and formed my first theory, which is that non-Midwesterners like APHC, but people who actually grew up in the midwest (or close to it, as I did in central Ohio) are immune to its purported charm.

Then I moved to Minnesota, and found that plenty of people who live here (and who aren’t transplants, like me) like Keillor and his radio show. So that theory went bust.

I also found that living in Minnesota made it much more dangerous for me to listen to the radio. If I scanned channels, I might come across APHC. “Bad man! Bad man!” I would holler, not unlike a toddler, as I lunged for the button to make GK’s distinctive, smarmy baritone go away.

Then a friend of mine got a job working on APHC. I would occasionally listen because my friend, a nice person and very funny guy, was writing some of the jokes. But they were still told in that same creepy voice, so in spite of my best efforts, I could never listen for long. Eventually my friend and the show parted ways, so I no longer had any reason to hide how much I disliked it.

The reviews of the new film APHC have been mixed, but not in the middle. They tend to be polarized. Critics who like the radio show like the film, and vice versa. Ebert and Roeper did a polar split in their reviews. Since I’m not a GK and APHC fan, I’m not going to see the film even though Altman is one of my favorite directors.

From this, I have conceived a new theory on GK and APHC. It’s love or hate, perhaps because of some genetic, physical predisposition, like this. Some people love it. But many, many people don’t. There’s no middle ground.

One of the best things about the Loft’s Festival of Children’s Literature last weekend were the talks by editors. The festival had one headlining NYC book editor and several local book editors for smaller presses. Some of what was said was common sense, some of the common sense was stuff worth repeating, and some other stuff was good to know, because it clarified or contradicted advice in some of the usual children’s literature canon. One thing that became even more clear to me than previously is that children’s lit is a different thing than adult lit; the same rules do not apply.

Here, in no particular order, are some pieces of advice from various editors, some of which were repeated by all of them.

-Submit polished work, not early or partial drafts.
-Cover letters should be short and professional. No biographical info needed, no past publishing history unless it’s directly relevant, no marketing info for the book, no hyperbolic references to other work. A simple, Dear [Editor], Here is my work, Thank you, [Author] should suffice because it’s your writing that should speak for you, not your cover letter.
-Again, your writing is what should distinguish you, not the color of your paper or your font choice. Use white paper, 1 inch margins, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman. Never a sans serif font, never all caps. No exploding confetti (I wondered if other people were reminded of Tobias from Arrested Development when that was mentioned.)
-Reseach the publisher and submit to one that is a good match for your work.
-Children’s publisher’s do not want to work with agents; they want to work with you.
-Picture book writers should keep their text short and relatively adjective free. The illustrations will do the work of adjectives.
-Unless you’re an author/illustrator, and a good one, the editor will pick the illustrator for a writer.

There was also a good panel of authors on agents. One had a good agent who had pretty much fallen into his lap, another had sought an agent at a huge firm who had not been a help, and two other authors had never had agents, but instead used a book lawyer as needed for contracts and other legal stuff. The concensus seemed to be that a good agent could help, a bad one could hurt, and a children’s author is fine without one.

I buzzed by the library after the festival to pick up a few books by the local authors from the panel. Drake is currently loving all of these:

The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle
When Mommy was Mad by Lynne Jonell
Night Driving by John Coy

A few weeks ago, in what was either a moment of weakness or bravery, I registered to attend the Loft’s Festival of Children’s Literature, a day of general sessions and smaller workshops led by writers, illustrators, and editors. As I contemplated the eight-hour day, I realized I’d have to take Guppy with me. The logistics of being away from him that long would be complicated. So I planned to wear my Maya Wrap sling and bring along a diaper bag with the essentials*. I figured I would attend as much as I could, and leave any session, or the festival, if things went badly.

As it turned out, Guppy was astonishing. He snoozed most of the time in the sling, woke to eat, then snoozed again, lather, rinse, repeat. He was quiet in his brief waking periods, and I was able to attend almost every minute of every session. And if you’re ever having a low day (as I was–recent nights have had lots of interrupted sleep, and the weather has been bad) bringing a baby to an event can be very cheering. Loads of people want to talk with and smile at you.

As I’ve written many times before, the Loft is a wonderful resource for Twin Cities writers. The festival was full of useful information, and I got a lot out of it. I nearly didn’t sign up, and then strongly considered not attending after I did sign up. I’m glad I overcame my doubt and inertia.

*Wallet, phone, PDA, lip balm, tiny notebook, pen, 2 diapers, wipes, burp cloth, Nuk, extra outfit and socks, book (for me), distracting toy (for Guppy).

Back when I lived in the Philly area, one of my favorite rites of spring was to take a walk once the weeping cherry trees began to bloom. There were several especially nice ones in my neighborhood, and I miss them each spring. Minnesota is hardly the frozen tundra that many people imagine it to be, but there aren’t a lot of cherry trees, either. My husband G. Grod sent me this link, which I can’t seem to embed:

http://tarkandeluxe.blogspot.com/2006/04/cherry-blossom-season.html

I spent today and one day last week in an uncharacteristic manner: driving around. I was in and out of the car with both boys all morning, and in the car for a long time. Drake did very well, and Guppy slept the whole time, but it isn’t an experience I want to increase in frequency.

We only have one car that G. Grod and I share. He can take the bus to work or drive. One of the reasons we like where we live is that we’re within walking distance of several parks, a coffee shop, restaurant, two libraries, our grocery co op, and more. I enjoy walking to these places. I get exercise, and my sons get fresh air and a scenic stroller ride.

Running back and forth in the car felt only like it was a means to an end. I know lots of people for whom driving is an everyday event. They live in suburbs and have to drive to everything. I also know people who live near me and drive their kids around to museums, gyms, and other kid venues. I know those has value, but for me and mine, so does avoiding time in the car. The park down the block may be smaller than one I can drive to, but I don’t think Drake enjoys it any less, and I know we’re both better off not having to negotiate getting in and out, and in and out, of the car to go someplace further away.

During the last big snow storm, I put Guppy in the Baby Bjorn, got Drake in his snowsuit and boots, shovelled our walks, then pulled Drake around the park in his sled. I will try to remember that day anytime I’m feeling useless and unaccomplished.

I heard about a $25 energy audit from a friend, then read it recommended in the Star Tribune. $25 is for a standard audit, and the energy company in Minneapolis will send an auditor to your home to go through your house and evaluate your heating use and potential ways to save money. They will also tell you how efficient or not certain fixes are. For example, replacing our boiler (original to our 1917 house) would take 15 to 20 years to pay for itself, thus it’s not a priority. Yet turning down the thermostat even one degree at night is an easy way to save money. The audit takes about an hour and a half, and the auditor (an independent contractor, not a direct employee of the energy company) leaves a detailed report and a goody bag of energy saving devices such as weather strip, clear caulk, plastic window covering, foam sealant and a low-flow shower head. (The latter item is all well and good for people who have an average amount of hair. I have rather a lot when I’m not pregnant and for the next few months even more; I’d never get out of the shower if I didn’t have decent water pressure for rinsing.) There’s about an eight-week wait for an audit because it’s a good deal and there’s high demand, but if you live in the Twin Cities, I found it very worthwhile, even though it made my already lengthy to-do list has grown even longer.