Hmong Farmers

Bought produce for Thanksgiving, grown by Hmong American farmers, at our neighborhood Mill City Farmers Market.

Butter and Flour

Began stocking up on ingredients for Thanksgiving, starting with the important stuff: flour and butter for pie crusts.

Fresh Ramen Noodles

The maneki-neko (beckoning cat) blessed my bicycle helmet while I waited for fresh ramen noodles at Tori 44 in North Minneapolis. I’ll cook some and freeze some.

Categorized as Cook

20% Senior Discount on Seafood

Got my Tuesdays-only 20% senior discount at Coastal Seafoods. They have the freshest seafood: most of their business is wholesale to restaurants and supermarkets.

Categorized as Cook

Minnesota, Full-Throttle

Tonight, we go full-throttle Minnesotan: I’m making green bean hotdish topped with Tater Tots. OK, Spud Puppies, same thing. I’m going a little upmarket: no Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, no French’s fried onions, and the green beans are fresh.

Categorized as Cook

Buying Locally

Bought locally. This Saturday farmers market near our home lets us stock up with local produce we’ll enjoy much of the week.

Categorized as Cook

Smooth Sauces Every Time

Here’s two techniques I often use to create guaranteed lump-free sauces. In both cases, the secret is to get rid of water. I wish I had known these methods in my early cooking days. Roux Butter contains water; water and flour form lumps. When creating a roux, I don’t add the flour until the butter stops… Continue reading Smooth Sauces Every Time

Buying Local

Cycled through a neighborhood of locally owned shops. Picked up some veggies at a small, old-fashioned co-op.

Categorized as Cook