I didn’t have much time between appointments, so I popped into Rose Street Patisserie for a quick lunch. I preceded this “rich chocolate mousse layered with ganache and flourless chocolate cake atop a chocolate hazelnut crumble” with one of their super-tasty and flakey spinach and feta croissants. Yes, that’s gold leaf.
Category: Eat
Guilty pleasures
I was in the neighborhood of our nearest Asian supermarket, so I popped in for some Japanese guilty pleasures: dark chocolate and orange Kit Kats, curry cubes (great for transforming leftover veggies into a tasty lunch), and a rice cracker mix. At the exit, the claw cranes, ubiquitous in Japan, were thoughtfully arranged so that even the youngest could experience disappointment.
The disappearing cake
It was time for more slices of the cake Dwight had baked for my birthday to disappear. Not just any cake, but a French dessert called gâteau invisible, so named because of the way layers of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples disappear into a vanilla-bean flavored batter. Here it’s served with a dollop of cream whipped with brown sugar and flecks of cinnamon.
A “de-colonized” meal at Owamni
Walked over to Owamni by the Sioux Chef where Dwight had reserved this window table for an excellent “de-colonized” meal with ingredients restricted to those available to pre-colonial indigenous Americans. The chef has won several James Beard awards at this nationally recognized restaurant.
Table service at Lake Harriet
Cycled our favorite loop via Lake Harriet where we stopped for breakfast at Bread & Pickle. Here I’m delivering the always-fresh coffee while breakfast sandwiches were being cooked to order.
Family gathering at Misono
We feasted on American-style sushi: it’s actually delicious. I ate too much.
Trails and treats
Riding with a friend, we biked a route that included two new trail sections along the Mississippi River, one passing under a freight rail bridge and another beneath a busy road. We stopped at the new Aki’s BreadHaus and WunderBar, enjoying delicious pastries that brought back childhood memories for my friend. We continued our trip carrying freshly baked baguettes for later.
Cycle ride to Forgotten Star Brewery
Cycled upriver to Forgotten Star Brewery where we availed ourselves of a $10 burger and beer special. During WW2 the building was part of a large naval weapons factory and received awards for being one of the two most efficient and excellent factories in the country during that time. The delicious burgers (on brioche buns, no less) were made in the truck on the right.
The aroma of fresh tortillas
After my Thursday Teacher Tom stint, I sometimes pick up a still-warm pack of 36 corn tortillas (shown here, today, between a bowl of corn flour and a millstone) for $4 from a nearby tortilleria. They do magic with just three ingredients: corn, water, and lime. Back home, with the aroma of fresh tortillas wafting out of my daypack, I froze them in groups of six, separated by parchment paper.
Authentic flavors at La Madre
Early dinner with friends at La Madre, a recently opened Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood. The food is authentic and delicious, including my Puerco en Adobo (shredded pork butt, corn, bacon, shallot, heavy cream, radish, lime, cilantro, pickled red onion). Yum!