My bicycling theme today was ‘Foraging for Brioche Buns.’ Eventually struck gold with buns from the very excellent Rose Street Patisserie. I’ve double-bagged and frozen them until July 4. We only make hamburgers once or twice a year, so they need to be good.
Category: Living
Breakfast View
On our cycle ride: breakfast view, Lake Harriet.
Time for Gratitude
Celebrated over grilled cheese sandwiches and beer at Longfellow’s. We had been to my oncologist and agreed to resume drug therapy because my tumor is waking up: the therapy could work for years. As a student, I celebrated poor grades, good grades less so. Grateful for good healthcare.
Vietnamese Baking
Met a friend early (8:00 a.m.) to cycle to an unassuming bakery in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul. Trung Nam, owned by a Vietnamese family, makes some of the best croissants in town. They sell out fast, hence the early start.
Home of Breakfast Cereal
In Northeast Minneapolis, cycled past a node in the global industrial breakfast cereal supply chain.
Model Railroad Sale
Locked up my bike outside the Twin City Model Railroad Museum. In a dark room where the lights had failed, other nerdy old guys were pointing their phone flashlights at tables filled with surplus models that were on sale. I did likewise, looked, but didn’t buy.
Veggie Paella
My first (almost) veggie paella tasted pretty good, but I need to cautiously work on developing a deeper, more caramelized base crust (socarrat). Used Arborio rather than Bomba rice (I’ll do that again next time), and chicken (rather than veggie) broth.
Ferns by a Trail
The trails were so lovely today. Ferns on Brown’s Creek State Trail.
Pedestrian Lift Bridge
Cycled to Wisconsin across a rarity: a working lift bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Rode in a friend’s truck part-way, then cycled the Gateway and Brown’s Creek State Trails to Stillwater where the bridge crosses the St. Croix River. A new bridge now carries vehicle traffic.
Minnesota-Grown
Leftover mushroom risotto tasted pretty good: made patties for dinner. The mushroom, lettuce, tomatoes, and asparagus are all Minnesota-grown.