Reviewed by Jan Weiss

A trip to the farmer’s market is a feast for the senses – vibrant colors and the heady aroma of fresh produce bring out the impulsive produce shopper in all of us. So, what do you do with that quince once you take it home? Cooking from the Farmer’s Market, the latest offering from Williams-Sonoma, makes it easy to navigate the market and provides in-depth information on buying and preparing your new-found treasures (aprium, anyone?).

Unlike many cookbooks that tout “easy to prepare” recipes, this one provides unexpected yet elegant dishes that appeal to your inner gourmand. The cherry section includes not only a recipe for sour cherry pie but also a tasty crostini with smoked duck and cherry relish. The prosaic lemon is caramelized and served with sautéed snapper filet. There is even a fresh update on a Brady family favorite – sautéed apples and pork chops.

The two main sections, of the book fruit and vegetables, are further broken down by type (squash, melons, etc). A handy chart outlines all of the featured produce along with the peak season for each – taking the fear out of a trip to the market in winter. Clear, precise instructions (including metric conversions) are perfect for the novice cook. There is even a “techniques” section to take the mystery out of “segmenting citrus” or “paring tough stalks.” So, pack up your reusable bags, head to the farmer’s market and pick up a rutabaga. With this book, you won’t regret it.

Talenti Gelato is available in many flavors, both Gelato and Sorbetto. Each individual flavor is sold in a sleek pint-size, reusable container. The gelato was easy to scoop out as soon as it came out of the freezer, and held the desired consistency that one would hope for. The flavors were clean and fresh — and you knew you were eating something that was good for you. While we quickly ate up the Double Dark Chocolate dotted with pieces of Belgian Chocolate and the Sicilian Pistachio blended with roasted pistachios and pistachio butter, our favorite was the Mediterranean Mint. Forget ever going back to your childhood flavor of Mint Chocolate Chip. Mediterranean Mint is made with fresh mint leaves, giving it a distinct, clean flavor. It reminded us that this green scoop we grew up with was actually supposed to taste like — um, real mint — something you often forget about. Specks of bittersweet chocolate pieces added a nice balance to every spoonful.

Talenti also offers a selection of exotic Sorbetto flavors, but we’ll stick with the gelato. All are available at select supermarkets or can be ordered online. Prices vary from location to location, but usually cost between $4.99 – $5.99 for a pint.

At the Expo, you will sample luxury foods, wines, cheese and chocolates, learn how to set a gorgeous table, watch a fashion meets confection show (fashions inspired by chocolate), watch the pastry competition or take a moment to relax in the lounge area.

Location: Minneapolis Convention Center: Hall E
Hours: 10am-6pm on Nov. 7 & 8
$25 advance tickets / $30 at the door

At the Vault, you will taste some distinguished wines perfect for your holiday entertaining, while speaking with the experts.

Location: Hotel Ivy
Hours: 12pm; 1:30pm; 3pm; 4:30pm on Nov. 7 & 8
$50 includes (1) same-day admission to the Expo

At the Progressive, you will go on a gustatory journey. You will experience 4 luxury settings, 3 delectable courses, 2 decadent desserts in 1 spectacular evening.

Location: Hotel Ivy
Hours: 7pm-12am on Nov. 7
$150 includes (1) same-day admission to the Expo

At the Style, learn about the latest tabletop trends and decor, along with personal fashions.

Location: Minneapolis Convention Center: Ballroom A
Hours: 10am on Nov. 7 – Table Viewing
Hours: 11am – 1pm Luncheon and Style Show
$65.00 includes (1) same-day admission to the Expo

Photo credit: ginnerobot @ flickr

Grilled Saffron Paneer

It’s time to count down the days until Om opens up. This new restaurant, opening on September 11, will feature modern Indian cuisine, and even better, they will be using locally grown seasonal produce and herbs. Featuring vibrant flavors and unique combinations, the menu is sure to please your palate.

Begin your culinary journey with Fresh Mint and Potato Tartlets $6 (Minced potatoes and peas spiced with ginger, freshly ground spices, and fresh mint in crisp phyllo cups) or the Mumbai Crackers $6 (bite-sized crackers topped with mango, potato, red onion and drizzled with one sweet and one tart chutney) or enjoy one of the many small plates, such as the Sea Scallops, pan-seared with peanuts, spinach, and garlic finished with a toasted coconut-mace blend ($12).

You might also enjoy one of the main entrees such as the Avocado Stuffed Chicken Breast for $16 (Tender all-natural chicken breast stuffed with avocado and poached in an eggplant-tomato sauce served with saffron-kissed basmati rice) or the Minnesota Walleye with Cumin for $22 (Grilled walleye filet seasoned with cumin, coriander, and garlic Served with saffron-kissed basmati rice and baby greens with raisin vinaigrette).

The night cannot be complete without one of their signature cocktails – we suggest the Monsoon with fresh muddled cucumbers and green apples shaken with Sobiesky Vodka and Apple Pucker or the OM-ito, purple and green mint leaves and fresh limes muddled with Bacardi Silver and ginger simple syrup, served on the rocks.

OM is located at 401 First Avenue North in Minneapolis. (612) 338-1510 Dinner (starting on September 11) will be served 7 nights a week.

Photo Credit: CityMama @ flickr

Have you’ve always dreamed about  being on Top Chef, and we are not just talking about being a contestant? Does the thought of savoring the creations of some of America’s Top Chefs sound like a dream come true? If you weren’t able to score a ticket to be one of the lucky tasters, you might still have the opportunity to taste the winning menu from Top Chef Master’s star chef, Rick Bayless.

How? Rick Bayless will offer his winning menu, plus one course at Topolobampo for just $90. This won’t be here for long, but you could be one of the lucky ones to savor every layer of flavor of this winning menu.

For those of you who missed the final episode of Top Chef Masters, here’s is what will be served:

Codorniz estilo Oklahoma Barbeque: Hickory-smoked quail with Hickory House barbecue sauce, Iroquois cornbread croutons, spicy watermelon salad, roasted garlic slaw, chile threads.

Atun de Mole Negro: Seared Hawaiian ahi tuna in Oaxacan black mole with plantain-filled tamal, grilled nopal salad, roasted knob onions, three-nut crunch.

Arroz Negro a la Tumbada: Black rice “a la tumbada” with Maine lobster, tender squid, PEI mussels, grilled octopus and homemade chorizo in fresh tomato-jalapeno broth. Pickled vegetables, prosciutto pearls.

Cochinita Pibil: Overnight-braised Maple Creek Farm suckling pig “pibil” with crispy pig’s foot, sour orange jellies, habanero-pickled onions, sunchoke pudding.

Tartaleta de Durazno: Tart of Mick Klug’s height-of-season peaches, Prairie Fruits Farm goat cheese (infused with Earl Grey) and toasted pumpkin seed frangipane.

Topolobampo is located at 445 N. Clark in Chicago (312) 661-1434.

I have a bumpersticker on my car that reads “support your local independent everything.” I used to twitch uncomfortably whenever I went to the suburbs (and sometimes still do). I’ve even gone so far as to declare that all of my favorite restaurants don’t have parking lots! That’s why I love the deliciously ironic dinner I ate last week on Chipotle’s outdoor patio overlooking the parking lot of Ridgedale Mall. Someone had to put me in my place — and that someone is Steve Ells, Chipotle’s CEO.

Why did I go? I was invited by Michael Fuller who works in marketing for the restaurant. I also went because Chipotle is no longer owned by McDonald’s — and hasn’t been for a few years. Whether or not this actually makes any difference is negligible. Even though Chipotle drew away from the cheeseburger behemoth, Michael tells me that Steve Ells’ vision of serving real food has never been compromised. Ells calls it “food with integrity.”

Learning about Ells and his philosophy was an eye-opening experience that fundamentally changed my perception of Chipotle. There’s a guy with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America who speaks my language at the helm of a fast food chain. What’s the world coming to?! I might have to double think my “alternative” identity and hop into bed with the mainstream, or at least flirt with the mainstream as best as I can. Never did I think I’d see the day. Chipotle is a nationwide, publicly-traded fast food chain making tremendous progress in validating and popularizing local, sustainable food.

The Chipotle in Minnetonka, Minnesota where I ate last week is one of two LEED-certified branches in the country. Both the front and back of the kitchen are extremely clean and tight, and not one Chipotle across the country even has a freezer. As of this month, the chain’s produce buyers are sourcing 35 percent of at least one bulk seasonal produce item from local farmers. This is a 10 percent increase over last year. But you wouldn’t even know these numbers, as Chipotle simply does what is right without any fanfare, as reported by the Washington Post. Ells works with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms (that wonderfully upright and uncompromisable farmer from the movie Food, Inc.) and is even sponsoring a series of free showings of the film around the country. (Here’s a great article by Sarah Gilbert with a video showing Ells and Salatin mucking it up with the pigs.) And better yet, Chipotle buys the majority of its pork from Niman Ranch, an alliance of 650 independent farmers and ranchers spread throughout the country. As the story goes, every time Chipotle opens a new restaurant, Bill Niman can add a new farm to his network.

And what about the food? It’s fantastic. I tried everything on the menu so now I know that the barbacoa is the best item, hands down. The meat is spicy and warms your mouth with heat and toasted cumin. I was impressed by the tortilla chips, which are addictive, fried on-site every day, squirted with lime juice, and covered with just the right amount of chunky sea salt. The guacamole is fresh as green grass and about as good as it gets.

All in all, the coolest thing I have read about Chipotle is this quote from Ells: “We decided long ago that we didn’t want Chipotle’s success to be tied to the exploitation of animals, farmers, or the environment, but the engagement of our customers.” Let’s all stop to think about how wildly different this is from the typical exploitative model of corporate America. Steve Ells is spreading good karma one burrito at a time, and that’s something I can get behind.

The couple Ted Fisher and Robbi Bannen along with their kids open up their own farm to pizza lovers every Tuesday night throughout the year. They grow all the ingredients to put on the whole wheat crust, which is made from their own home-grown, hand-ground wheat. The crust is thin, the ingredients fresh, and the pizza kissed by the flames of their wood-burning oven.

There are no signs leading to the farm. In fact, there is only a series of dirt roads that make you wonder why you are driving a hour and a half to what feels like the middle of nowhere just to order a pizza.

Once you get there, it becomes exceedingly clear. The farm is beautiful and so are the people. Everyone brings what they need to create a night of fine-dining under the stars. It’s not uncommon to see a full setting with a tablecloth, chairs, wine, and a candleabra.

I had a bit of a geek out moment when I was standing in line to order. Brenda Langton, the chef behind Cafe Brenda and Spoonriver, walked by, which of course I had to declare to anyone within earshot of where I was standing. The girl taking our order said she heard the rumor earlier and asked me to point who Brenda was. For better or worse, she disappeared into the crowd as Aaron and I made up things we could have said to start a conversation.

The chalkboard menu has quite a few pizzas and unique ingredients. Orders are taken and you’re given a number.

My car arrived at 5:30 and we had to wait an hour for our order. The last car in our party arrived around 6:30 or so and had to wait an hour and a half. You’re given a number as they are ticked off one by one. In the meantime, you can drink wine and order a loaf of the farm’s own bread. You can wander around and pet the goats, cats, and cows, strum a guitar, lay around in the grass with someone you fancy, and catch up with your friends.

If you bring your own pizza conveyance device, I think you save a buck. One of my friends brings his wood pizza paddle and asks people who are done eating if he can re-use their box.

I wonder how many pizzas can fit in the infero at a time.

When your number is up, the beautiful lady in the flowered apron cuts it up and takes your cash.

And you’re left to sit in the grass and enjoy the food.

I’d love to hear more people’s opinions about the Pizza Farm. If you haven’t gone, check out this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for more details, or send me an email if you want tips on the best way to enjoy the farm.

On Thursday, we’re in store for another of these great events. This time around, it’s a free, socially responsible film series held in the parking lot of Patrick’s colorful cabaret.

Movies in the Park-ing Lot is the creation of local filmmaker Mark Wojahn, best known for his documentary What America Needs.

Mark is a curator of underground micro-cinema. He shows thought-provoking documentary films throughout the year under two names. Casket Cinema is held in his studio space in the Casket building in Northeast. And Movies in the Park-ing Lot is held throughout the summer in the lot wedged between The Hub Bike Co-Op and Patrick’s Cabaret. Head over to facebook to sign up for each of these groups so you won’t miss these great opportunities.

This Thursday July 2 at 9:30 p.m. Mark is showing the movie Food Matters, a documentary about America’s industrialized food supply and largely unhealthy eating habits.

In grassroots fashion, Mark also asked a number of local experts to join in for the discussion and showing, which is sponsored by Seward Co-op. There’ll be a raffle for gift cards to the co-op. One of the guests is Adiel Tel-Orien (“Dr. T”), the owner of Ecopolitan raw foods restaurant. There will be also be short cartoon on food by local filmmaker John Akre.

Grab some lawnchairs, food, drinks, and your friends and RSVP here so that Mark knows you are coming.

Minnesota Public Radio recently reported on the “great harvest” of food movies being shown in Minneapolis. You can stay in the know by heading over to see Food Matters and, best of all, talk about food issues with your community on a wonderful summer night.

Roxie Speth, founder and visionary of Uptown Market, proposed the idea of a European-style street market to her neighborhood council in February of this year. Five months later, it has become a reality, with the first market kicking off this Sunday.

The Uptown Market is located on 29th Street between Lyndale Ave S. and Dupont Ave S., easily accessible by public transportation and close to the Greenway bike trail. The market will empower and enliven the neighborhood by giving artists, craftspeople, small business owners, farmers, cooks, bakers, and neighbors a place to come together to sell their goods.

Given that this is a grassroots, all-volunteer market, Roxie and her team are starting with four dates: June 21, July 19, August 16, and September 20 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. You’ll find produce, prepared food, fine art, crafts, antiques, and vintage clothes. Roxie says it was challenging to bring in farmers for a market that doesn’t happen every week, but in time, she hopes to establish the market as a local weekly institution, which should draw a standing mix of diverse vendors.

Roxie’s inspiration comes from her own love of community gathering and vibrant neighborhoods. On a trip to Seattle, she and her friend Jess Horwitz fell in love with the Fremont Market, a fantastic year-round street market with over 150 vendors. And as an artist herself, she’s always craved an accessible venue to sell her work. Once she got involved in her neighborhood council, she met Brendan Jordan, a program manager for the Great Plains Institute who helped make it all happen. “It’s amazing how much you can accomplish once you take action,” she says, “and how much support you get–not only from friends, but also from your community.”

As for food, we might just have to wait to find out what’s there. Roxie mentioned coffee and corn roasters and the purple hot dog vendor known as the Magic Bus Cafe that sells psychedelic hot dogs, vegan tofu pups, popcorn, and baked goods.

If you or anyone you know are interested in being a vendor, please contact Jess Horwitz, the market’s vendor coordinator, at jess@uptownmarket.org. See you there!