justalex's Profile
roasted pig for reception
As I said, this was years ago. I certainly don't remember hairy skin. That doesn't sound too tempting as I'm with you on the fatty, crispy skin. Perhaps the OP could request they scald the pig beforehand. Now I'm going to go scald my mind of roasted hairy pig skin. Erp!
roasted pig for reception
Divine Swine out of Lakeville catered a work event for us years ago. As I recall, it was quite good.
http://www.divineswinecatering.com/index.htm
A Trader Joe's Care Package
I love their butternut squash soup in the shelf stable box. I dress it up with a little cayenne or smoked Spanish paprika and a good dollop of sour cream.
Cooks Ilustrated Shout Out to Minnesota's Jucy Lucy
For some of us that call ourselves Matt's fans, it's in part nostalgia. Many years ago I lived just blocks from the place. Our eighty year old neighbors had us make JL takeout trips for them. Good old Esther and Ernie craved the things and when I find myself in the area, it has to be a JL.
It brings back good memories of a simpler time in my life. I'm certain that can be said of all of us and our association with certain foods.
Pearl Onions
Trader Joe's carries frozen pearl onions. I used them in a French pork stew and they were quite good.
Where can I find habernero (hot pepper) plants in the Twin Cities?
For those in the west metro, Waconia Farm and Home (Ace) has them as well as Thai chili plants.
On's Kitchen
I hope you meant a 9 month old.. A 9 year old should not have a problem with waiting for food. And if you have a 9 month old I totally understand the typo from sleep deprivation. :)
Tuna noodle salad.
My mom made it with Creamette rings, tuna, chopped hard boiled eggs, celery, onion and mayo with a dash of salt and pepper.
I personally can't stand packaged/canned tuna. I make it for her now to bring it to her at her assisted living place. She craves the stuff quite often. Love my mom but every time I make it I get the 'Ewww' factor.
Search for Alphabet Pasta - Twin Cities
I've seen it at most Cub Food stores in the Hispanic food section. It comes in a plastic bag like egg noodles, only smaller.
What's missing from MSP's culinary landscape?
Thanks DQ and mitch for your suggestions. I'll be checking out the Chicago link.
The patties were stamped with Royal Carribean and I did find their website. I do love my patties, but they require next day air shipping and the cost was just a little too dear for my budget.
Byerly's in Minnetonka used to carry them. My request to bring them back has apparently fallen on deaf ears. I must've been the only customer buying them. :(
What's missing from MSP's culinary landscape?
I can only help you out in the Ice Cream Parlor department. Licks Unlimited in Excelsior is the ultimate in kitsch and just good, old fashioned hot fudge, sprinkles and the like. I believe their ice cream is probably Kemp's, but the trade-off is feeling like you stepped off in time to a 1960's ice cream shop. They probably don't re-open until sometime in April.
My major unfulfilled crave is spicy beef Jamaican patties as supplied by West Indies Soul. I tried Harry Singh's version and it was a sad, greasy ghost of what the patties were like at WIS. I'm holding out until August when I can have one again at their booth at the State Fair.
Romantic, but not snobby?
It's been a few years since I've been there, but the Nicollet Island Inn always seemed like a very romantic type of place. I know it's been around seemingly forever, but sometimes a place like that fits the bill perfectly. Perhaps others will have recent experience with their food offerings which they can relay.
I took a glimpse at their website and they emphasize romance. IIRC they even had horse and carriage rides for two around the island. The time I was there was right before Christmas, so perhaps that was just a seasonal thing.
What goes good with chili?
I'm in the cornbread boat with quite a few here. I also like to top chili with shredded sharp cheddar and chopped scallions.
Usually, I make a huge batch and when we're tired of it I freeze the rest. When I thaw and reheat it a month later, I always serve the chili (sans cheddar) with a gooey, Velveeta grilled cheese sandwich. I love dipping a slightly crunchy GC into spicy chili on a lazy winter Sunday evening. Perfect low maintenance meal.
Best place to buy chicken wings?
I don't know about the best, but the cheapest I've seen is a 3 pound bag of frozen wings for $6.99 at Cub. You could possibly quick thaw them under cold running water in the sink or on defrost mode in the microwave. I hope others have better ideas for you.
What happened to Midtown Global Market?
I seriously can't see a gastropub succeeding in Midtown Global Market, but I hope I'm very wrong. What soupkitten said about the crap economy strikes a chord.
There are so many great neighborhood-driven places now that it seems people stick a little closer to home.
I hate to say it, but MGM reminds me now of the fading stages of other former great hot spots in historical buildings. If you're old enough to know better you'll remember Bandana Square, St. Anthony Main and River Place in their glory days. Fun times!
Discontinued at Trader Joe's - January thru June 2012
Where is the Trader Joe's where you shop? I wonder if this is just a regional thing?
Costco food finds - 1st quarter 2012 [old]
Wow! Thanks suburban_mom. The EP Costco is the one I frequent. I'll have to pick up some of that sausage. So good with sauerkraut and dumplings this time of year. It's one of my favorite comfort foods.
Discontinued at Trader Joe's - January thru June 2012
I just purchased cha sui bao at the Trader Joe's in Minnetonka, MN yesterday. They come four to a pack and I had a couple of them for lunch. They are good!
I was upset to find no chocolate croissants in the frozen aisle. They had the mini croissants, but the chocolate ones were nowhere to be found. *Sob*
New Dim Sum Place
Interesting. I used to really like the Nankin, but I guess my tastes have evolved a bit since 1985. Wait a second, now I feel really old. :)
New Dim Sum Place
Thanks for the review. I dined at Wanderer's Garden three years ago and had a mediocre lunch with standard blah, pseudo Chinese dishes.
I wasn't aware they had new owners - and dim sum! As the above poster asked, is it cart service or place to order? Either way, I'm there.
Best Reuben you've had in the Twin Cities?
I've said it here before and I'll say it again - McGarry's Pub in Maple Plain is the place for great corned beef. It has a great fat to meat ratio which renders it juicy and tender. The Reuben comes with big hunks of it on grilled dark rye with sauerkraut, swiss and thousand island dressing. The bread holds up well to the kraut and dressing so it's not a big slopfest.
The atmosphere at McGarry's is charming in an Irish Pub kind of way. We like to get a table by the fireplace in the bar area. It's a nice way to relax on a rainy or snowy Saturday afternoon.
MSP Best Carrot Cake
Thank you for mentioning that it's in Watertown. I was so wrapped up in thinking about the carrot cake I didn't say where Crow River Coffee was located. Double Oops!
MSP Best Carrot Cake
An undead thread - ha-ha!
I guess a good carrot cake is worthy. For those willing to make a long posterior drive out west, Crow River Coffee Company is a destination. Maybe not so much in the winter, but the spandex outer-limits biking culture and Hog riders crowd might want to check it out.
This slice, made in house, towers at 6 inches or more. It's a double layer cake with pure cream cheese frosting separating the layers and a generous layer on top. It does have the ubiquitous orange/green carrot thingy on top. The cake itself is very moist and full of just right sized nuts for crunch, raisins, and a bite of cinnamon and nutmeg. The cream cheese speaks for itself with just a touch of sugar added in to the mix
Ames Farms Honey is about a mile from this place and they sell and use (I think) their products.
Just a place to keep in your back pocket if you're ever in the west metro.
Authentic Chinese?
About to dig into the carry out boxes now for dinner. I forgot to mention the portions are quite large, though we're kind of the grazer types. Thank you for inspiring me to try the place again. I know our menu choices were not outside of the box. Can you describe the shrimp in gluten sauce? Also, have you tried the shredded five spice dry tofu? I meant to ask the server but was distracted by a question from my mother at the time. TIA
Authentic Chinese?
Your post prompted me to re-try Tian Jin today after a pretty miserable visit around a year and a half ago. Service then was horrible to the point of us having to seek out our own utensils from the buffet, despite ordering off the menu. The woman who supposedly was waiting on our table was surly and rude. Total turn-off and the food was nothing special bordering on bland. I had basically written the place off of our list.
Our visit today was totally the opposite. The interior appears a bit tired and off, but the service and food were perfect. The young woman who greeted us and waited on our table was so genuinely pleasant and helpful it set the tone for the whole meal. Though not very busy, she was running all the tables and took the time to find a special table for my mother who is in a wheelchair. She even ran to open doors for us on this chiily day.
My mom and husband are less adventurous than I am food-wise, so we placed an order for the Chong King Spicy Chicken and Shredded Pork with Szechuan Garlic Sauce. The food arrived after about 10 minutes steaming hot and fragrant. The server warned us about the spice level and I giggled and said bring it on! Luckily, mom and the husband have a tolerance for spice despite their disdain for tofu and other things they consider exotic.
The Chong King chicken had a very crispy (I assume cornstarch?) batter but the dark meat inside was juicy and flavorful. The chicken squirted yummy juice when I bit into it, it was that good in relation to crispy outside, moist inside. The Szechuan peppercorns were evident in their numbing effect and overall just a good flavor profile. The usual red and green bell peppers and scallions were there. The same as almost everywhere. I had this dish recently at Tea House in Plymouth. I have to say Tian Jin's version was just a little bit better, and I love Tea House.
The pork with Szechuan garlic sauce was more interesting to me. It was spicier and included big pieces of black mushrooms that added a lot of flavor to the dish. I cook all the time at home and don't get how those yummy pieces of shredded pork are so tender. I didn't ask, but it seems to me they must use pork belly. It was so succulent and melt in your mouth.
My non-foodie, but spicy, family was very pleased. I'm dying to try their version of Ma Po Tofu which sounds so good. Maybe takeout some day soon.
Great place to eat in Eden Prairie
Last time I was there it was packed. My friend, who is Chinese, and I appeared to be the only non-Indians in the restaurant. I take that as a very positive sign as to its' authenticity. I'm no expert on Indian food I'll admit, but I was impressed with the freshness, spice and variety. We had the buffet that day and one offering was a roasted cauliflower dish in red curry sauce. I couldn't get enough of it and used their warm naan to sop up every bit of the sauce.
The attached grocery has quite an extensive selection of goods that are otherwise hard to find in the west metro. Fun place.
What's missing from MSP's culinary landscape?
My chowpup is now 15 and I've been raising him on the great food that CAN be found here. Our most recent visit was to Sonora in Midtown Global Market. The pork bocadillo and tacos were something he craves now. The Hmong marketplace in St. Paul is my next choice. He loves dan dan noodles at Tea House. I want to turn him onto some great Pho. I absolutely love the stuff!
Also, he is so into making ramen, the prepackaged starvation college diet thingie. I've tried to get the kid to cook forever with me with fresh stuff...but no way. Now he's slicing up fresh limes (knife skills), getting out the Penzey's Hot Chili Pepper flakes and dousing the ramen with Sriachca sauce.
We picked up some Semolina flour to make fresh pasta for the New Year tomorrow. Hands on, lovely fresh pasta!
My point is, if you create chowpups/or turn on friends to good food, the marketplace will fill the need.
All hope is not lost. Happy New Year CH'ers!
Our food culture will evolve as we expose our children and others to the beauty of more flavors
source for Tellicherry peppercorns
I second Penzey's. They would have them. They have stores in Lakeville, Uptown and on Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Beware though, they close at 5:30 on weekdays and at 5:00 on weekends. I'm not even sure if they're open on Sunday. Tough hours for 8 to 5 folks.
~ How long does it take to boil precooked ham per pound? Package says 3 hours per 10lbs to bake ~
The OP asked about boiling a turkey on another thread. I think they're serious about a pre-cooked ham.
How to soften butter to room temp when your house is kept cool?
Straight out of the fridge, put the stick of butter in a ziplock baggie. Massage it with your hands or roll out with a rolling pin. The butter becomes soft and pliable in no time.
