Corn and Cod (well, Flounder) Chowder

Our grocery store was out of Cod. In fact, it was out of almost all frozen fish. So, we were stuck with Flounder. I wasn’t too concerned since it was for a chowder, and it seemed to turn out just fine. The recipe for this delightful Corn and (fish) Chowder from Food and Wine was pretty easy, a bit of chopping, a bit of substitutions (half and half for cream, leek for celery) but it was really good. And I’m looking forward to leftovers.

And did you know that last Saturday was National Soup Sway Day? Neither did I. But any of you local readers up for a swap? I am….

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Wondrous Dim Sum

shrimp dumpling and shark fin dumpling

We met a few (six) friends for Dim Sum this past Sunday. It was so much fun. And the Bloody Mary wasn’t too bad either!

pork dumpling and calamari ceviche

wasabi bloody mary

shrimp something, pork bun and fried spring rolls

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Perfect

Salted Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ice Cream from Lucia’s.

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Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Cookies!

It snowed here this weekend. It was beautiful and we even sludged through it and made a rather large snowman. Then we came back in side and Daughter helped me bake some Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Cookies. When I say help, I mean she moved her stool around in the kitchen and ate crackers as I measured and poured. She did love watching the mixer, which we both found fascinating. I’m a sucker for pumpkin and anything chocolate, so these cookies are amazing. The pumpkin is not overpowering, in fact, it’s very subtle, and really just adds a lovely texture to the cookie.

On a side note, sort of, most of these cookies landed in the freezer so I can bring them to my first Craft Sale on December 3rd! More details to follow, but it’s a Friday and the sale will be from 3-8pm, so mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information! There will be no obligation to buy anything, but if you show up you can have a cookie! Now, is that bribe, or what?

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Dinner Out…

It was so beautiful out this weekend. So Beautiful! It’s October, but it feels like June. Or July, Or even August. Eighty-degrees? Seriously. It was so nice we enjoyed a impromptu dinner outside at Ginger Hop on Saturday night. We started with the Crab Cakes and Sweet Potato Fries (for the Daughter) and then we each tried a curry. Maybe it was the patio, but the whole meal was delightful. We’ll be back….

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Ah…. Al Vento

I met a couple dear friends for dinner on Monday night at a neighborhood favorite, Al Vento. I’ve been there a number of times for both dinner and brunch and I’m always happy to return. Monday night was no exception and a real treat. Not only was the company fan-tabulous, but the food was absolutely amazing.

We started with two Bruschetta, including the Olive Tapanade and the Sweet Corn Relish. I passed on the Olive option in exchange for more the Corn. And it was a great choice. The corn was so fresh I half expected to see a corn field behind the restaurant. And there was just enough red onion to give it a kick.

For my entree, I chose the Halibut over Cauliflower Corn Risotto with an Heirloom Vinagrette. Again, the corn. And I was so, so happy with my choice. The Halibut was prepared perfectly, crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside and surprisingly hot when it arrived. The rest of the plate accented the fish nicely and I am still dreaming of that Vinagrette today. We passed on dessert, although their tiramasu is just stunning and quite authentic. (I sort of speak from experience…)

It was a lovely meal, with lovely ladies, on a lovely patio, on a lovely fall evening. I wish we could do it every week…. Ah…..

That’s it for me for the week. We’re heading Up North to the South Shore for a few days….  lots of great food up there and you can read all about it next week. Happy Weekend to you!

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Izzy’s Ice Cream

This past weekend was absolutely beautiful. The sky was blue, the temperature hovered around 70 degrees and there was no rain in site. On Saturday we went for a bike ride to the playground. On Sunday we took a long walk through Minnehaha Park and stopped at Sea Salt for a scoop of Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream. But the line was out the door. And we were impatient. So we wandered through more of the park and started heading toward the DQ on the way home. That line was also out the door. And around the building. Oh well, we’re still impatient. But by the time we got home we still wanted ice cream, so I popped into the car (again, why didn’t I take the scooter?) and drove across the river to Izzy’s and picked up two pints  Yum. Izzy’s! I got the Salted Caramel and Chocolate Dulce de Leche. (And did you know they updated the flavors they have available every three minutes!) So not only did we fulfill our ice cream craving, but we also have a stash in the freezer for the next time it hits. Which I’m sure will be soon. Really soon.

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Lunch at the Tea House

Anna and I have been waiting for the Tea House to open their Minneapolis location for nearly a year. And so finally last week, after a quick stop at the Textile Center, we stopped in for a delightful lunch.

We both ordered lunch specials and were treated to  a simple soup loaded with pork and tofu.

We then moved onto an order of the Juicy Buns. These were very similar to the first dumplings I had in NYC’s Chinatown. Our blonde, blue-eyed server gave us a quick lesson on how to eat them and for that I was grateful. Basically, you bite off the top (the twisty part), pour in some of the ginger sauce served on the side, and  then try to eat it as gracefully as possible without it slipping from your chopsticks and into the soup spoon you’re hopefully holding right underneath it. They were delightful and oh, such a mess.

Not that I was still hungry, but the Kung Poa Chicken I ordered was delicious and a huge serving. It was loaded with peanuts and some vegetables and became my lunch the following day as well.

I can’t wait to go back. Every time I think of the Juicy Buns my mouth waters. Yummmmmm……. who’s got time for a lunch date?

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The Homegrown Experience

There’s a cool event coming up here in Minneapolis in a couple weeks. I don’t know much about it, but hope to stop by. From what I can figure out there will be food and wine and speakers. And it’s all local. Good enough!

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Birthday Dinner

Husband and I got away last Friday for a quick (and late) Birthday Dinner. We went to Al Vento. It’s close to the house, they have a great patio and their food is really, very good. We started with the plate of four Bruschetta (eggplant, asparagus, black olive tapanade and white bean).

Then we moved on to the Smoke Salmon Crostini. We’ve had it before and again it didn’t disappoint.

For entrée’s, Husband chose the Hanger Steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus, I chose the Fettuccine with Hangar Steak and Asparagus. So, yes, they were similar, but they were both delicious. I’m sure the Fettuccine was made in house. And surprisingly, the dish had a kick to it!

Usually I stop there. I usually skip dessert. But it was my Birthday, so I went for the Tiramisu. Husband had a Bailey’s and Coffee. The Tiramisu was perfect. Just enough liquor, just enough chocolate, just enough marscapone. It was delightful. And then I was full.

And happy.

Go spend an evening at Al Vento. Summer is nearly over and their patio is a treat.

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