May 4, 2008 - May 10, 2008

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Hey guys, I've cracked the recipe for restaurant-style Thai lemongrass soup

Filed under: Recipes

When you eat at a restaurant, do you ever contemplate how you would go about making your favorite dish? Does this overwhelm and make your mind boggle?

I've always been a fan of the Thai lemongrass soup that you see on menus around town. It's spicy, filling, and very healthy. And once you figure out the ingredients? It's incredibly easy to make, and even improve on.

Ingredients:

Mushrooms (I'm using generic sliced mushrooms because canned 'shrooms squick me out, but just about any mushroom you like will work), red pepper, lime, veggie broth, sugar, ginger, coconut milk, tofu (firmer is better), red curry paste, lemongrass, soy sauce.

Zesty!

Take your fresh ginger and grate out about two tablespoons (the ginger should be paste-like). Grate out two tablespoons of lime as well. Side note: Lime zest is the green stuff, you don’t want to hit the soft white part. Set the lime aside, because you will use it later.

Red pepper and 'shrooms:

Rinse off your mushrooms of choice, and cut the red pepper into matchstick-shaped portions.

Squared:

Drain your block of tofu cut it into 1-inch cubes. Don't worry about squeezing the excess water out of the tofu.

Tossin' things in the pot:

Add three cups of veggie broth (or three cups of water and a veggie broth cube, which is what I do), 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and a cube of sugar (about a tsp). Throw the ginger, zest, tofu, red pepper, and mushrooms in as well. Bring to a bowl, stirring occasionally.

Coconut milk:

Can of coconut milk: Now's your moment to shine. Stir the coconut and bring to a tiny boil again.

Still adding stuff:

Still bubbling, add two generous tablespoons of lemongrass. I used this dried stuff that's almost a powder, but fresh and the dried tubes also work well. Take half the lime and squeeze the juice into the mix. Side note: If you don’t have fresh lime, you can make a poor man's version of this using a healthy squirt from one of those plastic lime juice thingies.

Don't panic:

Here's the step that might freak people out: You need red curry paste to make this recipe. I know I glaze over recipes when I read some ingredient or cooking tool I don't normally use, but this is a really non-scandalous ingredient, I promise. You can buy it in any grocery store in the “Asian foods” section. It will cost you about $4, and it will last a year. So lower the heat, and add 2-3 teaspoons of red curry paste. I do three, because I like it spicy, and the paste makes it yummy. You might want to add a teaspoon at a time, testing along the way so it's not too hot. Stir to incorporate all ingredients, turn off the heat and let things sit for a minute.

Ta-da:

The end product. This only lasts about two days, since the tofu gets brown like a banana and that turns some people off. Also, you can add any vegetable to this you want. I've done snap peas, spinach, onions, and other stuff that’s turned out well. You can also add noodles and rice if that’s your thing.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at May 9, 2008 7:14 PM | Comments (0)

 

Lakemaid, a beer for fishermen

Filed under: Product Review

It's a joyous day when we are sent free beer. It's even more joyous when it happens on a Friday, a day that starts off right with free doughnuts in the break room.

This Friday we were sent the newest in the Schell beer family, Lakemaid's Beer, a beer brewed in New Ulm, MN. The marketing is a little dubious: Bottles are festooned with a variety of ladies that are half fish, half bikini babe. What follows is a transcription of my coworkers and I as we sample this fish/lady-themed beer.

(Ward Rubrecht and Jessica Armbruster open beer, look at the message under the bottle cap)

Jessica Armbruster: 2 pounds, large mouth.

Ward Rubrecht: Boot?

JA: Huh. What does that mean?

WR: Oh, I see, you open the bottle and catch something. My label has "Miss Perch," which apparently is a nice Hawaiian lady in a bikini.

JA: I got "Miss Northern Pike," a blonde lady in a hot pink bikini.

WR: Yours is a boney fish with many ribs. It’s billed as the "fisherman’s lager," which encourages drinking and boating!

JA: Scandalous!

WR: According to the label, "A portion of the proceeds goes towards the International Game Fish association."

JA: Nice. (takes sip) Hm. This tastes generic.

WR: Yeah, sort of like Leinie's Red with more hoppiness.

JA: But you know, it's not a bad beer. I could binge drink this some night and not feel bad about it. It’s definitely not a Budweiser or water-y beer. Not aggressively flavorful, yet reasonably tasty.

WR: With all the fishing affiliation, I am pleased to discover there's no aftertaste of pond scum.

JA: I am wary of the marketing though. Women as fish? Wrong. "Miss Sturgeon". I am concerned that "Miss Sturgeon" -- the only African American of the bunch -- is being described as "primitive." That’s really not cool.

WR: I would also like to point out, since I am post-feminist, that they use "Miss" for the title of each fish woman. I am also concerned about the cut-off point for the anatomy of the ladies. They have two sets of guts: Fish and lady. This makes me not want to sleep with any of them. Bad marketing. And, it is marketed to fishermen rather than "fisherpeople."

JA: No, this beer is not particularly gender-friendly.

(Jeff Shaw and Nate Patrin enter the room)

Jeff Shaw: I don’t know that I would be excited to be "Miss Large Mouth."

JA: Wow. Tasteful!

WR: (fixated) I know they're going for the mermaid thing, but it's creepy that they’re half fish, half lady. Does anyone want to make it with a fish?

JS: Her large intestine must be two miles! This is a tasty lager though. I like it. It's sort of like a high-end Lucky Lager. I'm not a beer elitist.

WR: (ponders) Dying with a beer in my hand is how I want to go. Though, probably not with this one.

Nate Patrin: I would like to die in my 80s in a fiery automobile accident. But in a really good car.

WR: The problem is that old people can't drive fast enough for that to work.

JS: What time is it?

JA: 4 p.m.

NP: Time to get ill.

JS: It's always time to get ill.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at May 9, 2008 5:18 PM | Comments (8)

 

Drink of the Week: Rubber Ducky

Filed under: Drink of the Week

Rubber Ducky
Cafe Maude
Sparkling blue raspberry lemonade and a yellow Peep
$3.50

We salute the artisan cocktail movement for merging the liquor cabinet with the kitchen--using fresh-squeezed juices, herb-infused liquors, and artsy garnishes to mix up creative concoctions. But compared to their crapulous cousins, non-alcoholic drinks have lagged. That's why we're especially impressed with the list at Cafe Maude, where all sorts of refreshing teas and fruity spritzers keep us sipping just as elegantly, sans the after effects.

Since the Bad Kid--a bottle of non-alcoholic beer and a candy cigarette--came off the menu, we've been celebrating summer with the Rubber Ducky: neon blue raspberry lemonade with a yellow Peep floating on top. The drink is bright as squint-inducing sunshine. Its tartness as shocking as an ice cube down the shirt. And it has just enough fizzy sizzle to make it as invigorating as plopping your self into a swimming pool.

Posted by Rachel Hutton at May 9, 2008 5:20 AM | Comments (0)

 

Start Gearing Up for Okonomiyaki Sunday

Filed under: Restaurants

If you've had your fill of sushi and tempura — for the time being, at any rate — it's worth investigating the lesser-known demigods in the pantheon of Japanese cuisine as served in the US. You could try donburi ("rice-bowl dish"). Or robata (grilled skewers). Or o-nigiri (stuffed riceballs).

Or try one of my personal favorites: the battered egg and cabbage-comprised entree known as "okonomiyaki" (literally, "grilled what-you-like"). Okonomiyaki are about as varied as omelettes are in the States, so you can't necessarily generalize, but in addition to egg and cabbage, they often tend to feature okonomiyaki sauce (a thicker, sweeter version of a steak sauce), seaweed flakes, fish flakes, another protein (seafood, pork) and Japanese mayo.

Midori's Floating World does a very passable and savory okonomiyaki on Sunday nights, for $9.95. It's served vegetarian (those who have had it with uncured bacon will miss the pork, but if you haven't, you won't). You can request a shrimp add-on for another $3.

The Floating World version looks absolutely gorgeous (the camera phone photo below doesn't do it justice), with vibrant green seaweed flakes dusting the top of the sauce-smeared pancake. When I've had the dish before, it was looser and less battered; the Floating World okonomiyaki is fairly hard to cut through with chopsticks, but the positive side effect is that bite-sized pieces tend to hold together fairly well.

And the taste? Well, there's a lot going on. It's despicable to say "you've just got to try it," but you do; between the sweet sauce, the cabbage, the sprouts, the mayo, the seaweed flakes and the pickled condiment in the center of the plate, you get a fireworks festival of flavors.

On an unrelated, but still food-centered note: Don't forget to sign up for City Pages' free food e-newsletter. Every week, we'll tell you about the latest food news, restaurant specials, the newest hot spots, upcoming events and festivals, and more.

/plug

Posted by James Norton at May 8, 2008 6:54 PM | Comments (0)

 

Chino crosses a new line

Filed under: Restaurants

Passing by 29th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis, I noticed this new Chino Latino billboard:

Chino's billboards based on racial and sexual stereotypes have been a source of controversy for years and, while I've found much of the toilet humor amusing, some of the comments, to me, crossed the line. Knowing the problems Southeast Asia faces with child prostitution, a happy hour that's "cheaper than a Bangkok brothel" really isn't so funny.

After Chino paid $325,000 last year to settle a discrimination lawsuit regarding alleged mistreatment of Hispanic employees, I wondered if Parasole might tone things down...not likely considering the CEO once referred to billboard protesters as "bedwetting hippies."

Why could I grin at the recent Lake/Hennepin Figlio billboard with the drag queen who’s been "working the corner" for decades, and laugh out loud about the one on 44th/France that says the oysters at Salut are "taking the E.D. out of Edina," but find this one so unsettling?

I think part of it was related to the double standard related to sexually promiscuous men and women. But most of it had to do with the fact that the phrase "damaged goods" is a term that's been applied to rape victims, both by others and by the victims themselves, and seeing the phrase used to sell food and drink is something I find hard to stomach.

Posted by Rachel Hutton at May 7, 2008 3:32 PM | Comments (1)

 

Coffee Industry Buzz

Filed under: Events

If downtown Minneapolis seemed particularly abuzz this weekend, it's because the Specialty Coffee Association was holding its annual conference and exhibition at the convention center. Thousands of coffee producers, importers, retailers, and roasters came together for labs, lectures, and information sharing. If you wanted to, say, discuss preserving coffee plants' genetic diversity, or debate Starbucks' purchase of the company that makes Clover coffee machines, this was the place to be.

I spent a little time perusing the exhibit hall booths, which featured brewing eqiupment, green and roasted coffees, and all sorts of environmentally friendly packaging--including reusable cup sleeves like this:

My favorite discovery was the Handpresso portable espresso maker, a French product making its American debut. The machine uses coffee "pods" and is pressurized by hand, like a bike pump--but you have to produce the hot water. While it's probably about as necessary as the reusable cup sleeves, it was a cool concept that produced a decent-tasting shot.

Three locals--Andrew Palmer of Paradise Roasters, Andrew Millstead of Kopplin's Coffee, and Peter Middlecamp of Black Sheep--participated in the U.S. Barista Championships, in which competitors have 15 minutes to prepare 12 coffee beverages (one espresso, one cappuccino, and one signature drink for each of the four judges). While none placed this year (Peter took sixth at last year's competiton), they were sure fun to watch. Check out these shots from photographer Michael McGuire:

(That's Adam Palmer in the reflection.)

Posted by Rachel Hutton at May 6, 2008 10:49 AM | Comments (6)

 

Midtown Farmers' Market: Open for Business

Filed under: Shopping

After a long, cold winter (one that seems to be still in the process of begrudgingly releasing its hold on the state), it's nice to get back to the summer and harvest-time normalcy of a good old outdoor farmer's market. Even if you need to wear a coat to stay warm.

The Midtown Farmers' Market opened up this past Saturday, attracting a healthy and enthusiastic crowd. There wasn't much in the way of produce, but meat, honey, egg, baked good and other vendors were present, making the trip well worth the effort. Most critically, a crepe-selling vendor (Creperie Mala) was present, allowing visitors to purchase delectable ramp, ham and gruyere crepes ($4) such as this one:

Also present: a couple sheep that were sheared for the viewing delight of the audience. Here's one of the two dudes, pre-shearing:

And here's an even more dramatic shot of the sheep being hauled up and presented to the onlooking throng:

And then the sheep-shearing process begins. You have to admire the sheep's relatively composed expression at this point in the process:

My wife took a bunch more shots of this ilk, but they get a little redundant and — in light of the cold and windy weather — a little depressing. We bugged out before the sheep was completely sheared, opting instead to pick up some farm-fresh eggs for the evening's meal, a skillet flan.

Which is a fancy way to say "potato quiche."

Posted by James Norton at May 6, 2008 1:26 AM | Comments (0)

 

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