Structured today’s bike ride as a foraging exercise for hiking snacks. I picked up wasabi peas from United Noodles (a large Asian supermarket) and was pleased to confirm wasabi was on the ingredient list, not the commonly substituted horseradish. I also filled up on generic M&Ms from Seward Co-op and granola bars from Trader Joe’s.
Category: Eat
A bowl of comfort
I’d been looking forward to this yakisoba bowl at Zen Box Izakaya all day. I’d left home for school as the sun was rising after a late night (for us), and I’d taken on an extra class, a reading group. But it was a joy to work with the adult learners, always in good spirits, always trying hard despite fitting in their classes with family and job commitments.
Firing up the Weber
Simple Sunday, last gasp of summer, grilled chicken thighs for dinner.
Gold-plated lunch
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.
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.